Seven Parasols
by youroctober
Summary: Ash had been hiding, and it isn't until he comes to face his fears that he manages to get out of his rut. It doesn't help that his fears involve the cocky, intelligent, successful, and ridiculously attractive Gary Oak. Ash/Gary. Slash.
1. Chapter 1

_Wow...back exactly one year after writing this story. I can't believe how well it's done. Still today I got three alerts in my inbox letting me know readers have put this story under their favorites. Huge, huge thanks to everyone. I have received many messages asking me if I'll be writing a sequel to this, or another Ash/Gary story whatsoever. The answer is...I don't know. I become obsessed with ships, write a whole lot of stories about them in record time (like I did with this one), and then forget about them and move onto a new obsession a while later. I'm not into Palletshipping lately. Right now it's more Prince of Tennis. Will I come back to Palletshipping in the future? Probably. But right now? I could try to write a story, but it wouldn't be very good. I might not even finish it. I want to write something of quality; I've improved a lot since writing Seven Parasols._

**_Before I stop blabbing and get on with the story, I also want to ask you to please check out my very good friend's blog. You can find it at: _http : // island0fmisfittoyz .wordpress. com/****_ (Remove spaces) He is the most amazing boy ever and I can guarantee you will all love his blog. Just the chance to ogle his pictures is well worth it. If you want to review this story but you're too lazy/busy/other excuse to do so, please at least check out his blog and consider subscribing. It's well worth it. Alright, shameless promotion of my favorite person ever is over. On with the show._**

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**-Chapter One-**

_I am everything you want,_

_I am everything you need._

_I am everything inside of you_

_That you wish you could be._

_I say all the right things,_

_At exactly the right time,_

_But I mean nothing to you_

_And I don't know why._

_-Vertical Horizon_

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* * *

_

It was difficult to walk out of the stadium, but somehow, he managed it. His feet acted in spite of his brain, which was telling him to turn around and face Gary like a man. Go up to him, and stare him straight in the eyes. Take his face. Kiss him so hard that he was bruised afterwards.

But he didn't do any of that. He walked out, head bowed, Pikachu trailing after him. Misty and Brock were nowhere to be seen.

When Ash got back to the hotel, he toppled into bed and pulled his hat over his face. He wasn't going to cry. He wasn't.

But he did.

The tears were hot, as hot as his boiling blood, and they slipped down his face before he could stop them. A few gathered in the corners of his lips, and he licked them away, somehow comforted by their saltiness. Tears were meant to be salty. His were salty. Finally, something in his world that made sense.

His defeat had been pathetic. He'd gone through five Pokémon in a matter of minutes, and had had no choice but to call out Bulbasaur. Poor Bulbasaur, who was probably still tired from the match he had had with Brock hours earlier. Stupid, lousy decision. Gary, of course, had brought out Arcanine, and the battle had been over in seconds.

What had he been thinking? What in the _world_ had he been thinking? Why he had battled Brock before the match was baffling in itself. But what about the other Pokémon that had been at his disposal? Pikachu, Charizard, Squirtle, Muk and Taurus? He could hardly remember how they had lost to Gary's powerful team. All he could remember was the horrible, sinking feeling that had accompanied his realisation that all he had left was Bulbasaur, and that Gary was still on his first Pokémon.

When Brock and Misty arrived a few hours later, he pretended to be asleep. They made no attempt to wake him, and merely grabbed their jackets and left for dinner. Pikachu slept by his side, exhausted from the battle, and he was grateful for the understanding company. He wanted to lay in bed and think. Just think, because that was all he ever did. He never acted. He just contemplated. Which was funny, because he was usually something of an impulsive hothead. But not when it came to Gary, apparently.

He soon slipped into an uneasy sleep, where in his dreams Gary was lurking in the shadows, eyeing him down. He would avoid his gaze, cowardly, and attempt to train his Pokémon. But he was never far from Gary's scrutiny, no matter how deep he ventured into the forest. Gary was always there, watching from behind the trunks of the oak trees, and smirking. But it didn't anger him. It never did, really.

It just made Ash want him even more.

***

"Honey, Professor Oak wanted to see you today," Delia Ketchum said, her voice soft. She wasn't sure how the proposal would go over.

"Professor Oak?"

The curiosity in her son's voice raised her confidence. "Yes. He said he had something to talk to you about."

"Oh, alright. I'll go by later."

Ash brought his plates to the sink and began to wipe them off methodically. Bits of egg and bacon fell into the soapy water, and he turned away from the sight in disgust. Looking out of the kitchen window, he saw Mr. Mime tending the garden. The flowers were beautiful this year, all sorts of colours grouping together to form a wonderful painting.

If he had the guts, he would bring a flower to Gary. Of course, if he had any guts at all, he wouldn't have cooped himself up in the house for the past nine months. He would have been out there training harder than ever for the new tournament coming up in June. But he was a coward, and a foolish one, so he spent his days helping around the house and laying around.

He made great plans, but never saw them through. He was supposed to go to Cerulean City last month to visit Misty. He had even called her, arranged a date to head over, and then at the last minute he had cancelled without offering any excuses.

Brock had been a bit more pushy. He had arrived, unannounced, on several occasions, hoping to coax Ash into coming over to Pewter City to see how his family was doing. Again, Ash couldn't be bothered, and though he promised Brock to go see him, both of them were smart enough to know that it was never actually going to happen.

But he owed at least a visit to Professor Oak, considering the fact that the Pokémon researcher had been a crucial aid in his past journeys. Of course, he owed Misty and Brock as well, but it was only a short walk to Professor Oak's lab. Nowadays, it was all he could manage without turning back and giving up.

He pulled on his shoes and called out to his mother that he was leaving. It was chilly outside, and he thought about heading up to his room to grab a coat, but decided against it. At least this way, if he felt like turning back halfway there, he had a good reason: he'd gotten cold

He held open the door for Pikachu, who pounced up onto his shoulder immediately after stepping outdoors.

"We haven't seen Professor Oak in a long time, have we, Pikachu?" he asked. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and began the walk to the lab.

"Pika," was the response.

"We won't stay long," he continued, speaking more to himself than his companion. "I'll see what he needs, and then we'll leave. I don't want to stick around." He hesitated, then muttered, "I wonder if Gary'll be there."

To his surprise, the heavens did not spill their wrath onto the earth. There were no comets crashing down before him, no apocalypse taking place. He had voiced his fear, the one thing he dreaded, and life still continued. A few Pidgeys chattered nearby, and one of his neighbours crossed his path and waved hello. The world had failed to notice that he had finally owned up to the reason why he avoided the lab that he had loved so much.

In case Gary was there.

The very thought had his heart pounding, his hands sweating, his mouth dry. His swallowed a few times and reminded himself to breathe, to calm down. It would be alright. Gary was rarely at home, anyways: he was too busy researching, like his grandfather, and occasionally going out of town for Pokémon League tournaments. He was so successful, so great. It was a painful realisation that he was everything that Ash wished he could be, or at least, be _with._

When he arrived at the lab, stomach twisting into a hundred different shapes, he felt as though he was preparing himself to face his worst nightmare. In a sense, perhaps he was. He cleared his throat, wiped his damp palms on his jeans, and let out a breath he hadn't even noticed he'd been holding.

He knocked on the door. A quiet, unsure knock that echoed in his mind a thousand times louder than it had actually been.

Professor Oak opened the door, and his face split into a wide grin. "Ah, Ash! So good to see you! Please, come right in."

He entered the house, and was somehow pleased to see that nothing had changed. Change bothered him lately, and it made him feel uncomfortable. He knew that he was trying to grasp the past with whatever strength he had left, because those had been the good days. The days when he had felt free, happy, and empowered.

"Your mother told you that I wanted a word with you?" Professor Oak asked, heading towards the back of the house.

Ash followed closely. "She told me this morning."

"Yes, well, I was actually wondering if you could do a bit of a favour for me," he said. They had now arrived in the part of the house that doubled as both a library and a laboratory. Professor Oak switched on a light and went to sit at his desk, shuffling through a stack of papers.

"How have you been?" he inquired absentmindedly. He pulled out a page and checked the title, then shoved it towards the back of the pile and kept searching.

"I've been good," he lied.

"Good, good." There was a silence, and then, "Yes, here we are."

He rose from his chair and grabbed an envelope, stuffing several papers into it a bit haphazardly.

"Ash, I wanted to know if you could deliver these documents for me," he said. "They contain extremely important information regarding a recent discovery I've made, and I'm far too busy to deliver them myself."

"Uh, well..."

"We're on the brink of a very important scientific discovery, Ash. One that could make history. If I leave the lab, that could all fall apart. I need to stay close to my subjects, observing them every day. And I need all of my aides here as well. I'm sure you understand."

Ash sighed in defeat. "I understand, professor. Sure, I'll deliver them for you."

"Thank you, Ash." Professor Oak beamed at him, which made Ash feel somewhat better about his decision to help out. "Please be sure not to lose any of them, or misplace them. Heavens knows I won't be able to get those statistics again."

"I'll be careful."

"Here's the address," he said, writing it onto the front of the envelope before passing it to him. "You'll be travelling to Viridian City, so you should be there within two or three days, depending on the weather."

"Right," Ash replied. "Well, don't worry, professor, I'll get these papers there for you as quick as I can. I'll leave right now."

"Thank you; this really is a big help." Professor Oak paused, then, "Say, Ash, are you feeling alright? You look a bit worse for wear."

"Me? No, I'm fine," he said quickly, plastering a smile onto his face. "I'd better get going. I'll come see you as soon as I get back."

"Do call me when you get to Viridian City, would you?"

"Sure, no problem," he agreed. "Bye, professor."

"Goodbye, Ash."

Ash was accompanied to the front door by Professor Oak, and he left as quickly as he could. He had half a mind to ask how Gary was, but thought better of it. In reality, he didn't really want to know. He walked home in silence, reflecting on the trip he was going to have to make. Though he had a bike now, acquired last Christmas, it wouldn't be particularly enjoyable if the cold weather kept up.

Once at home, he hurried up to his room to pack a few belongings. After he finished double-checking that he had everything he needed, he went into the kitchen to say goodbye to his mother.

"Mom, I have to go to Viridian City," he said. "I'm delivering something for Professor Oak."

"Oh, how nice of you, sweetheart," she replied, looking up from the cake she was decorating. "What are you delivering?"

"Uh, just some papers I guess," he said, staring at the envelope.

"To who, honey? One of Professor Oak's friends?"

"I don't know," he answered. "All I've got is an address—"

He brought the envelope closer to his face in order to make sure that he was reading the address properly, and then he pulled it back sharply. His heart stopped beating.

He couldn't do this.

.com/


	2. Chapter 2

**-Chapter Two-**

In the end, he had to do it.

Professor Oak wouldn't lie to him, and if he said that his discovery was a breakthrough in modern science, then it most likely was. This meant that someone had to deliver those papers, and Ash was the best candidate for the job. He had been to Viridian City a dozen times, and it wasn't as though he had a job to worry about.

So he left. Surprised by his own boldness, he pulled his bike out of the garage, zipped up his jacket, perched Pikachu on the handlebars, and sped down the lane. The cold wind bit at his face, and he wished he had brought a scarf. Of course, he could always turn around and grab one. And while he was at it, maybe he could get a warmer hat. Perhaps some thicker gloves.

But this time, just this once, he wasn't going to allow himself to be a coward, so he kept pedalling.

In a matter of minutes he was speeding out of Pallet Town, and travelling down Route 1. He could easily reach Viridian City by nightfall, given he wasn't walking. Professor Oak would no doubt be pleased that his papers were reaching their destination far earlier than he had expected.

As he zoomed down the road and through the tall grass, he rehearsed in his mind what he was going to say. Of course, it wasn't rocket science. He would just knock on the door, smile, and say, "Hi there, Gary. Uh, Professor Oak wanted me to deliver these. Okay, bye then."

He would then leave as quickly as possible and use the Pokémon Center's phone to call the professor. No need to intrude in Gary's home.

Apparently, his resolution to no longer be a coward had gone down the drain.

The sun was drifting lazily towards the horizon when he finally decided to stop, legs cramped, brow sweating. He set his bike onto the ground and opened his pack, retrieving bits of Pokémon food for Pikachu and a sandwich for himself.

"We'll sleep tonight and we'll be there by tomorrow morning, Pikachu," Ash said. "And then we'll just drop off those papers and head back home..."

They ate in silence, and once he was done, Ash collected a bundle of wood and lit a fire. It crackled merrily, forcing the cold closing in on them to back away. Ash's spirits rose as his temperature did, and the thought of dealing with Gary no longer seemed as intimidating.

"Gary's probably so busy he'll just take the papers and shut the door," he said, fully aware of how much the prospect both pleased and terrified him. "Or maybe he won't even be home. If he's so busy with this new discovery, he might even be out of town. Maybe someone else will open the door. Like his girlfriend...or his wife...or..."

Ash choked and buried his face in his hands, unable to finish his train of thoughts. That fear was constantly lurking in the back of his mind, like a monster hiding in the shadows and waiting to pounce. What if Gary was with someone else? Some tall, beautiful, intelligent woman, who was a successful trainer and researcher? And here he was, dorky Ash Ketchum, who was nothing more than a loser in Gary's eyes.

He snuggled into his sleeping bag and felt Pikachu curl into a ball near his head, ready to sleep. But Ash knew that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep. There was too much on his mind. Thoughts of Gary, and what he could expect when he knocked on that door. A wife, a family, an entire life built without him...The very idea had tears threatening to trickle down his cheeks.

***

It was a nice house. Set on the outskirts of the town, it was white with a blue door, and seemed to be well-kept. There were a few trees in the front lawn, and Ash couldn't help but feel some hope at the realisation that it was very quiet. There were no kids outside, playing and laughing, and it was a Saturday. That had to be a good sign.

He walked up to the door and forced himself to breathe. Knock. Give papers. Leave. That was all he had to do. It was simple enough, and yet for all his mental coaching, Ash could not prevent himself from breaking out into a cold sweat.

He knocked.

There was nothing but silence, and he wondered if perhaps Gary wasn't home. Yes, that had to be it. Several minutes passed, and he was certain of it: the house was empty. Jubilant, he took the papers and set them carefully into the mailbox.

His stomach uncurled, and he felt the tension leave his shoulders and his neck. Gary wasn't home, and he wasn't going to have to deal with him.

He swung his leg over his bike and hurried down the road, wanting to leave before Gary came home. The air suddenly seemed much warmer, the sounds of the birds much more pleasant, and the sun brighter than ever. His fears had dissipated, and he realised that he was going to live. He was going to survive.

"That wasn't so bad, hey, Pikachu?" he laughed, turning into the parking lot of the Pokémon Center. "I'll just call Professor Oak and let him know what's up.

He parked his bike and stretched, letting all of the stress leave his body. Perhaps he would grab a bite to eat at the cafeteria, and just relax and enjoy himself. It was something he hadn't done in a long time, but he felt he deserved it. He had come out to Viridian City and had faced his fear. That certainly deserved a burger and a bowl of ice cream.

"How about some fries, little buddy?" he asked, stepping into the Pokémon Center. "With lots of Ketchup?"

"Pika, Pika!"

"Yeah, lots of Ketchup." Ash grinned and made his way towards the phone. He deposited some change and took a seat. The phone rang twice before Professor Oak answered.

"Ash, where are you?" Professor Oak asked, clearly startled that Ash had managed to call him so quickly.

"Viridian City," he answered. "I took my bike, so I got here about an hour ago. I went to Gary's house but there was no one there, so I left the papers in his mailbox."

"That's fine, Ash," he replied, "but isn't that Gary just behind you?"

Ash's throat constricted, and he turned sharply. The sight of a blue shirt in the corner of his vision was enough to make him feel sick.


	3. Chapter 3

**-Chapter Three-**

To my own surprise, I've been sticking to my plan and writing a chapter a day. Go me! I know that it might not be clear this early in the story why Ash feels the way he does towards Gary, and why he wants to avoid him and whatnot, but that's all going to be explained in chapter four, so just bear with me here. Thank you to all the readers. Please review, it means a lot. And more than anything else, please enjoy! I might add that next chapter is going to be quite M-rated, so if that's not your thing, please don't read.

* * *

"Here, just toss those aside," Gary said, turning on the kitchen light. "Or, wait, give them to me."

Ash picked up a stack of books and handed it to Gary. He then sat in the previously-vacated dining room chair, and began to take in his surroundings. Gary's kitchen was painted the palest of creams, and it was spotless, reminding Ash of his own house. A white oven and refrigerator stood surrounded by cupboards, and there were a few paintings on the walls. Gary began to prepare tea, though Ash protested.

"Gary, I didn't mean to interrupt or anything," he said. He was silenced by a wave of the other's hand.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ash," he said. "I haven't seen you in months. The least I can do is make you a cup of tea. Besides, I was just at the Pokémon Center to talk to Nurse Joy. Nothing much to do today. At least, not until I got those papers."

"Professor Oak made them sound pretty important." Ash was amazed at the fact that he was succeeding at keeping his voice relatively levelled.

"They're essential to pretty much everything I've been working on for the past five months," Gary said, filling a small bowl with food for Pikachu. The electric mouse immediately took to the snack, gulping up several pieces of food with evident appreciation.

"Wow."

"Yeah, so it's good you got them here as quick as you did," he said. "Thanks, by the way."

Ash blushed furiously, and ducked his head in order to hide it. He pretended to be busy tying his shoe as he said, "Uh, yeah, no problem."

"I probably shouldn't be telling you this," Gary continued, oblivious to Ash's embarrassment, "but grandpa and I are studying Pokémon breeding habits, and what we've come across is pretty extraordinary."

He brought two cups of tea to the table, and took a seat opposite of Ash. The latter finished tying his shoe, and brought his drink to his lips in order to have something to do—anything to distract him from looking at Gary. He scalded his tongue instantly.

"Are you okay?" Gary yelped, leaping up. "Ash, be careful, that's really hot."

"I kind of noticed," he whimpered.

"Here, use this." His host retrieved several ice cubes from the freezer, which he stuck in a towel and pressed against Ash's mouth. "That should help."

"Thm," Ash thanked him, muffled by the towel.

"Yeah, no problem." He sat down and smirked. "Next time, let it cool down first. So anyways, we've found out that Pokémon breeding isn't as simple as just sticking a male and a female together. Some Pokémon just aren't _compatible, _you see. But then you have Ditto, who can mate with any Pokémon of either gender." He shook his head. "It's a big mysterious. I mean, we suppose that because Ditto can transform into any Pokémon it likes, that it just transforms into a suitable mate…But there are so many other questions that that theory brings up."

Ash gingerly removed the ice cubes from his mouth and said, "Yeah, there are. That sounds really interesting."

"Here, let me get you something cold to drink instead," Gary laughed. He left the table and was back a few moments later with a soda. "This should work out better."

"Thanks," Ash said bashfully, sipping from the can. The cold liquid soothed his tongue immensely.

"So enough about me, Ash," Gary said. "What have you been up to?"

"Me?" The question he had been dreading. "Um, nothing really."

"Oh? How about that League tournament in June, eh? Can't wait to see you there."

"I don't think I'll be going this year."

There was a moment of silence, during which Gary's eyebrows shot up. Finally, he said, "Really? Why not? I figured you'd be the first one there to register."

More uncomfortable than ever, Ash eyed the ground and swallowed. "I don't know. I just want to train some more before I try again, I guess."

"Oh, alright, that makes sense," Gary said knowingly. "What kind of training routine do you have? Or is it a secret?"

"No, it's not a secret," he replied. "I just…well, I haven't been training much actually."

Gary now seemed to be extremely perplexed. "What? Why not?"

"Um," Ash stuttered, "I guess I'm just not into it lately."

"Not into it?" Gary was stunned. "Ash Ketchum, trainer from Pallet Town, not into Pokémon training? I thought you were supposed to be trying to become a Pokémon Master!"

"I was," he said, "and I still am. I'm just…taking a little break. That's all. Nothing to worry about."

Gary refused to comment, sipping his tea instead. He was staring out the window. Ash snuck a glance as well, and saw that a storm had started. Wind was whipping against the house viciously, and Ash was immensely grateful to be indoors.

"Good thing I got here when I did," he muttered.

"Sure is," Gary agreed. "You can stay the night; I've got a guest bedroom upstairs. And you can borrow some of my pyjamas."

Ash sunk deeper into his chair. "Great."

***

The stupid blue shirt smelled like Gary. Ash brought the material closer to his nose, breathing in. It was positively _soaked_ in that vanilla scent that drove him insane. He was never going to be able to sleep like this, dressed in Gary's clothes.

Ash rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. He had been lying there for hours, fully awake, thinking of Gary sleeping in the room next to him. Gary. He looked the same as always: dark brown hair, sharp eyes, and lips that always seemed to be pulled into a smirk. His lab coat fit him perfectly, hugging the contours of his frame as though it had been made for him, and his voice still made Ash shiver on occasion.

Yes, he was the same Gary, though he was much kinder now. Of course, Gary had never been a jerk, and he had always treated most people with respect...except for Ash. Ash had been on his list of those he considered a loser, and he had received many insults in the past years from the older trainer. But now...there was no teasing. No tormenting. No taunting. Gary was just Gary, and Ash was just Ash, and rivalry and name-calling didn't enter into the equation anymore.

Ash checked his watch and saw that it was almost six in the morning. Quite sure that he wasn't going to be able to get any sleep, he crawled out of bed and changed into the warmer clothes that Gary had provided him with. The house was freezing, and judging by the sound of the wind, it was a hundred times colder outdoors.

He stepped into the kitchen, rubbing his hands together in order to create some heat, and sat down at the kitchen table. Pikachu joined him, yawning fiercely.

"How'd you sleep, Pikachu?" he asked. "Better than I did?"

He tensed at the sound of creaking on the stairs, and his stomach plummeted at the sight of Gary. His hair was messy, he was still in his pyjamas, and he was smiling. He couldn't have looked more delectable.

"Hey, Ash, you're up early," he noted.

"I'm sorry if I woke you up," Ash said. "I usually get up at this time." It was a lie, but what else was he supposed to say? The truth, which was that he usually slept until well past noon?

"You didn't wake me up," he replied. "I just couldn't sleep knowing that I had my grandpa's papers here. I want to get to work as soon as possible."

"Oh." Ash forced himself to stop staring as Gary searched through the fridge. "Makes sense."

"I actually have a question for you," he continued, pouring two glasses of orange juice. "You're not doing much at home, are you?"

"No," Ash said slowly, unsure of what was going to be asked of him. "Not really. Why?"

Gary filled two bowls to the brim with cereal, and brought them to the table. Sitting down, he dug a spoon into his Rice Krispies and said, "I wanted to know if you'd like to stay here for a while and help out."

Ash gulped audibly and opened his mouth to protest, but Gary shook his head. "You wouldn't have to do any sort of research, or work with the machines. I need someone to train the Pokémon, and help keep them in form. You're a trainer, and probably one of the best that I know, so I figured you'd be perfect for the job. And you'd be paid for your work, of course."

Ash stared at his cereal, lost in thought. True, the position was ideal, and it wasn't as though he had any obligations. The only problem was Gary. Would he be capable of living with Gary, for who knew how long, when only two days ago the very thought of him had caused Ash to choke on his words? Maybe it was time to grow up a bit. To stop his fears from taking over his life, and ruining any chances he had at accomplishing his dreams. Maybe this was the first step. Of course, it was very likely that he might fail. He would probably find that he simply couldn't live with Gary, and it probably drive him insane. Yes, his failure was almost certain.

But he could at least try. "Yeah, Gary. That sounds fine."

When Gary grinned and began to eat his breakfast, Ash felt as though the snow had disappeared and a glorious sun had popped up in the sky. The world seemed a hundred times brighter and better, all because he had made Gary Oak happy.

What was he going to do with himself?


	4. Chapter 4

**-Chapter Four-**

This whole chapter is a big rated M for sexual content. This should either make you read on in excitement or back away in fear. Of course, if you've read any of my other stuff, or the warning, I'm sure you saw this coming. In any case, this chapter was fun to write, and I'm proud to have written two in one day. I deserve reviews just for that, I think.

* * *

Ash brought his hands to his brow, attempting to alleviate the pain of his headache. It felt as though a wrench was squeezing his head, pushing it in at the sides until eventually his skull would collapse. He knew why he was going through this pain: his thoughts were crowding into his head, stressing him endlessly, and a headache had ensued.

Memories of the past had been haunting him all night. The day had been uneventful, as he had spent the majority of it on tour around the laboratory. He was now at ease with using most of the equipment, such as the food dispensers, and he knew which Pokémon were under his care. He had made the right choice in accepting the job: helping Pokémon develop their abilities and grow to be strong was his specialty.

The problem, as he had expected, was Gary. Gary, who had him blushing with a single word. Gary, who could be rolling about in a stack of hay, wrestling with an angry Ratticate, and still look delectable. Gary, who was sleeping in the other room, unaware of the fact that Ash was pining for him like never before.

But it wasn't anything that had happened today that was bothering him. No, it was events that had taken place years ago, back in Pallet Town. He thought back to that one horrible day when his life had changed completely. He had been honest with himself, and on a night similar to this one, with the wind howling outside and the covers drawn up to his chin, he had finally admitted the truth: he liked Gary Oak. Not just in a friendly way, either. In the way that made him want to get to know him better, to hold hands with him, to kiss him, to carry him to bed and have his way with him.

But he hadn't been able to tell Gary. How could he? It was bad enough that whenever they met, Gary threw him an insult and then left with his cheerleading squad. If Gary knew that Ash wanted him, wanted him so badly that the very mention of his name dragged an outburst out of him, well...Ash didn't even want to think of it. So he kept his infatuation to himself, hiding it from even Misty and Brock, cherishing it for what it was worth.

And then he had had a brilliant plan. He would rise so high as a trainer, perhaps one day one of the Elite Four, that Gary would come to admire him. To respect him. To love him, maybe. It was a stretch, but he had to try. So he doubled his training, pushed himself and his Pokémon to the limit, and arrived at the Pokémon League Tournament ready to win. To his immense satisfaction, he had been picked to battle against Gary. What a perfect opportunity to show him how much he had improved, and how much potential he had.

But it had ended in disaster. Ultimate, horrible disaster. Gary had squashed his team within a matter of five minutes, and Ash had left the stadium disgusted with himself. And now here he was, living in Gary's house, helping him further his career. He should be out there training his Pokémon, and earning the last badge he needed to participate in the next League tournament. He had seven, and he only needed one more. So close, yet so far, because the final Gym Leader was none other than Gary Oak himself.

He couldn't face him again. He couldn't once again lose his mind at the sight of Gary's smile, at the sound of his voice, and then for the second time let all of his hard work result in nothing. Because that was the problem. He couldn't beat Gary, he just couldn't, because he could hardly even _speak_ when Gary was around, let alone think straight long enough to pull out a victory.

Frustrated beyond measure, Ash turned onto his side and balled up his fists. His life was pathetic, and he knew it. Why should Gary like him now? He was nothing, a nobody, and Gary was a Gym Leader and a famous researcher. He would probably be a legendary scientist in a few years. And Ash was still living with his mom. Worst yet, he was working for Gary. Pitiful.

Before he knew what was happening, Ash trailed his hand under the sheets, and down to the bulge in his pyjama pants. In spite of his fury, he was aroused. He was useless. He should hate Gary, hate him for constantly putting him down, hate him for being so amazing that he had fallen in love with him. And here he was, in the middle of the night, sporting an erection because of him.

He slipped his hand under his waistband and took his cock in hand, feeling the moisture accumulate on his palm. It was warm, and provided some heat to his freezing fingers. He began to move up and down, in a slow and tantalizing motion, visualizing Gary in his mind. He imagined Gary undressing, pulling his shirt over his head, his built body gleaming with sweat, then allowing Ash to yank down his pants, and his boxers, before crawling into bed next to him.

He quickened the pace of his hand, and his breath began to get raspy. He thought of his perfect face, looking as though it had been carved by angels, hovering just over top of his own. He wondered what he would say. Probably tease him, though in a soft and gentle voice, that in the end meant no harm. He envisioned his brown eyes filled with love, his chest rising and falling rapidly...

And then he pretended that the hand wrapped around his cock wasn't his own, but _Gary's_, and he felt fire burning deep within his stomach.

"Gary..." he whimpered under his breath, feeling his orgasm nearing. He wanted him so badly—no, he _needed_ him so badly. His hand was moving faster and faster, and in the quiet of the room, the sound of his skin against the material of his pants was deafening. It was quickly blocked out, however, by the roaring in his ears as he reached the very apex of his arousal.

"Gary—oh, shit—I...I..." He was lost now, and rambling. He thought of that soft, wet tongue on his scalding erection, licking just under his head...

No. He had to stop. He gripped the base of his shaft, so close to orgasm that it hurt, and tried to calm his breathing. He couldn't do this. He couldn't come to Gary's name, to the thought of him, because there was no hope. But then...how could he stop? The boy was everything he wanted: smart, witty, confident, attractive...And he needed him. He needed him so badly it made him delirious. Caving in, he gripped his cock harder than ever and pumped it once again, wanting to reach orgasm as quickly as physically possible. He was so close...so bloody, wonderfully close...It was right there, he could feel it, swelling up inside of him...

"G-Gary!" he yelped, coming into his hand. He rode out his orgasm, every wave of it, basking in the thought of Gary's ministrations.

Once finished, he released the tension in his body. His legs had curled up during his orgasm, and he laid them out straight. He was spent, exhausted, his breathing shallow. He now felt empty, viciously empty, and he wanted Gary more than ever. More than anything. What hurt the most was the fact that he was in the room next door, fast asleep and probably dreaming of great Pokémon discoveries.

He allowed himself to weep openly, this time not attempting to stop the flow.


	5. Chapter 5

**-Chapter Five-**

"Hey, Ash, how's this little guy making out?" Ash's head snapped up at the sound of Gary's voice.

"Fine," he said quickly, motioning his hand so that the small Jigglypuff came to his side. "Here, Jigglypuff, show him your singing."

The Jigglypuff opened its mouth and prepared to sing, when Gary hastily shook his head and waved his arms. "No, no, that's okay little buddy. I have to get going."

Jigglypuff deflated and glared up at Gary, who laughed. "Sorry, but maybe later, okay? I need to talk to Ash for a second."

Jigglypuff trotted away, leaving Ash and Gary alone. It was snowing outside, as per usual, but the lab was warm and cozy. Most of the Pokémon were playing with their toys or practicing with Ash, while Gary was busy with his papers.

"We're going to try and get the Nidorino and Nidorina to mate," Gary said, pulling out his clipboard. "According to this, they've been getting along reasonably well. Afterwards, I'll need you to keep a close eye on them, and wait until Nidorina lays an egg."

"That's fine," Ash replied. "They've both been doing great lately."

"Yeah, they've improved a lot since they've been here," Gary agreed. "Thanks to you, of course."

"Me?" Ash's eyes widened. "No, it's not me at all. It's your food, Gary, and your training program..."

"Which _you_ help them do," Gary pointed out. "No need to be so modest."

Ash blushed and muttered his thanks. True, the Pokémon had been growing stronger and stronger under his training, but he hadn't really considered the fact that it was thanks to him. He had chalked it up to Gary's program for them. It was a strange concept, feeling pride at having achieved something.

"Anyways, I better get going," Gary said. "Keep up the good work, eh, Ashy-boy?"

He left a considerably flustered Ash in his wake.

***

The week had gone well. Of course, this was to be expected, as Ash was doing what he truly loved: caring for Pokémon. He had the joy of watching them grow, develop their strengths, and eventually battle one another. He cheered them on when they succeeded, comforted them when they did not, and made sure that they recognized their own potential. It was a very fulfilling job.

The problem, however, was that while Ash was helping all of these Pokémon improve, he was staying in the same rut. He had no motivation, and it was a surprise he could so much as pull himself out of bed some days. It felt as though he had nothing to live for. He could never gain the courage to go and get his final badge, though Gary often advised him to, and he could also not seem to get over his feelings for Gary. A deep, deep rut.

One quiet, peaceful morning, Ash decided to make tea. It was the least he could do, as Gary generally prepared the meals every night. The researcher was tired lately, and Ash wondered sometimes how many hours he slept at night. It wasn't his business, naturally, but he still worried. So the least he could do was make some tea.

As he stood over the boiling water, he thought of Gary. What was it, exactly, that made him care so much that he crawled out of bed at four in the morning to make him something to drink? What was it about Gary that was so special? That question, he soon decided, could not be answered in just one part. He had to take into account not only Gary's physical appearance, such as his big brown eyes, his soft hair, his elegant hands (yes, he had to admit, he'd more than once caught himself staring at Gary's long fingers), but also his personality. The way that he seemed to be so self-assured, so positive that he was always on the right path. His sense of humour, which frequently had Ash laughing and smiling. There was also his kindness, the tenderness he demonstrated towards all Pokémon, which Ash could easily relate to.

And then there was something he couldn't quite put his finger on. Like the way his stomach leapt when Gary walked into the room, the sensations he felt when the boy's breath accidentally brushed against his neck, the dreamy state he often entered when he smelled him. Ash had long ago had his clothes delivered through the mail by his mother, so he didn't get to smell Gary's pyjamas often, but he still got a strong whiff of vanilla whenever his host walked by.

Pouring the tea into two cups and adding tea bags, he tried to remember when he had first begun to like Gary. He expected that he had felt something for him since a young age. There had just been that one day, that one faithful day, when it had truly dawned on him. And ever since then, it had gotten worst and worst.

"Ash?" Gary asked, coming towards him. "What're you doing?"

"Making tea," he said, holding up the cups as proof.

"In the kettle?" He quirked an eyebrow. "I got the water heater fixed, remember? Why not just use that?"

Ash stared at the contraption with obvious dislike. "I don't know how to use it."

"You just push the red button and hold the cup under it," he said. "It takes a lot less time, and there's less dishes."

"I guess I just like this way better."

His defensive tone had Gary chuckling. "Alright, alright, no problem. Thanks, by the way. You didn't have to get up at the crack of dawn to do this."

"I didn't get up at the crack of dawn."

"I heard you going down the stairs at four."

"...That's not the crack of dawn," he said in a small voice.

Gary laughed and shook his head. "Well, whatever. Thanks for the tea."

"You're welcome."

They sat in a comfortable silence and sipped their drinks, while Gary looked over his charts.

"Right," he said after a while. "Today's going to be a busy day, Ash. I might need you over in the lab."

Ash wasn't exactly thrilled at the prospect. It was one thing to work in the lower section of the laboratory, dealing with the Pokémon, but to be with Gary would make for a long day. It was probable that he would screw up whatever he was doing a good hundred times due to sheer nerves. Regardless, he nodded his consent.

"We're getting in a Taurus, and from what I hear, he's pretty rowdy. I'll need your help to calm him down while I give him his shot. And then he can go back into his pen for a few days, until he settles in with his surroundings."

"I have to...calm him down?"

"Yeah, you know, just hold him in place and talk to him."

"Uh, Gary? Is that safe?"

"Don't worry, Ashy-boy, there'll be plenty of aides around. Everything will be fine."

Blushing at the sound of his nickname, he nodded and finished his tea. He took Gary's empty cup and went to the sink. "I'll do the dishes."

"Oh, okay, thanks," he said. "I'm going to go get dressed and head on over to the lab. I'll see you soon."

Ash was pleased to have some time alone, as he needed to brace himself. First and foremost, he had a job to do, and in spite of how he felt when Gary was around, he had to push those feelings aside and concentrate. No messing up just because Gary was watching.

He quickly got dressed and went to the lab, pleased to see that it wasn't snowing. He couldn't wait until spring, though it was a while away, when they could take the Pokémon outdoors. The lab was filled with aides, most of them fiddling with machines and checking complicated diagrams.

"Ash," Gary greeted. "There you are." He was standing by an open door, pencil in hand. Grabbing a stray piece of paper, he wrote down a few digits, then said, "Alright, bring him in. Easy does it."

Before he had a chance to prepare himself, Ash watched in horror as several men accompanied an adult Taurus into the room. It was breathing heavily, eyes rolling, attempting to beat the aides away with his horns. Pikachu yelped and hid behind Ash, clearly startled.

Ash ran towards the large Pokémon and tried to pet his nose. "It's alright, just settle down there." Uninterested in being comforted, the frightened Taurus howled with rage and kicked up his back legs. Fortunately, no one was there to feel the impact of those hooves.

"Ash, just keep him steady for a few seconds," Gary called out, preparing a syringe.

Following the command, Ash swung his arms around the Taurus' neck and planted his feet into the ground. His muscles strained as he fought to keep the Pokémon from moving too much, though the Taurus seemed to relax somewhat at the human contact. He snorted and bowed his head, eyeing Ash warily.

"It's okay," he muttered. "It's going to be fine."

Gary stuck the needle into his heaving sides, though in his panic the Taurus hardly seemed to notice.

"There we go," Gary said in a satisfied voice, putting the needle away. "All done." He motioned to one of the men standing against the wall. "You can bring him back to his pen, now. Ash will be by later to see how he's doing."

Ash carefully removed his arms from the Taurus' neck, and watched as he was brought out of the room. It was amazing how such a strong, fierce animal was so afraid of them. Then again, it wasn't surprising. Most of the Pokémon Gary brought into the lab were those who had been neglected and abused by their trainers, and many of them harboured negative feelings towards humans. It was part of Gary's program to try and make these poor Pokémon realise that most of the trainers in the world wanted to befriend them and take care of them.

"What's a shame," Gary said, turning on one of his machines, "is that we don't have any other Taurus for that one to stay with."

"I've got a bunch," Ash mentioned. "You could borrow one if you like."

"Really? Do you have it here?"

"No, it's at Professor Oak's."

"Oh, that's no problem. I'll call up gramps right now and get him to send it over. You sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all," Ash said sincerely. "I'm sure the Taurus could use a companion."

"Alright, thanks," Gary grinned, grabbing the phone. "And thanks for the help, Ash. Not many people would be that eager to put their arms around a Taurus like that...It's funny how he calmed down so fast, though. You must have a real thing with Pokémon."

"Maybe," he muttered.

Gary nodded and began dialling Professor Oak's number. Letting Pikachu jump up onto his shoulder, Ash walked into the back room, where Taurus was kept. His pen was large and clean, but he was huddled in a corner, clearly very uncomfortable and unsure of his surroundings.

"We're getting you a friend," Ash said kindly. "And probably a mate when you get used to this place, too." He approached the fence that separated them and held out his hand. "Come here, Taurus. I'm not going to hurt you."

He slowly let his hand fall as the Taurus refused to come, supposing that it was simply too frightened. Then, slowly but surely, it trotted towards him, eventually touching his outstretched fingers with his wet nose. Ash chuckled and rubbed his head, feeling a few scars under his palm. Fury welled up inside of him towards whoever had abused the poor creature.

"Wow, Ash," Gary said, coming up behind him. "I don't know how you do it." He nodded towards Taurus, who appeared to be perfectly calm as Ash continued to stroke the skin between his ears.

"I guess he can just trust me, that's all," Ash shrugged. "Want to try?" He stepped back, giving Gary access, but he laughed and shook his head.

"No thanks," he said. "I'm not as crazy as you are, buddy."

Ash smiled in spite of the insult. Perhaps he _was_ crazy, sticking his hand into the pen like that. He continued his ministrations, and Pikachu eventually began to chatter with the Taurus, who snorted and pawed the ground in response.

"Your craziness suits you though," Gary said after a moment's silence.

"Yeah?" Ash looked up and met Gary's eyes. For a moment, he wasn't sure what to do, captivated by the simple _intensity_ of that stare. It seemed to plunge right into the deepest parts of him, scrutinizing him closely. He looked away and concentrated on getting a bucket of food out; the Pokémon had to be fed soon.

"Yeah," Gary said quietly, watching Ash prepare Taurus' meal. "It kind of does."


	6. Chapter 6

**-Chapter Six-**

Ash felt sweat trickling down his face, stinging his eyes, and his arms were beginning to ache. Regardless of his discomfort, he was happy and proud. He hadn't been proud in a long time. The young Ponyta in his charge was improving drastically, and she was now capable of sprinting around the track outdoors with ease.

Though there was still a bit of slush on the ground, left over from the harsh winter that had just finished, spring was well underway. It rained constantly, the days seemed to be getting longer, and that unmistakable fresh scent was in the air. They were now capable of taking the Pokémon outdoors, and it seemed to be working wonders.

"Good job, Ponyta." Ash grinned and brought his hand up to her head; she neighed and pushed her brow into his palm, enjoying the attention.

Ash unlocked the gate and led her to the stable, where a few other Ponyta were eyeing him warily. They had just arrived a few days ago, and weren't used to him yet.

"You have a nice rest," he said, giving her one last check. Her coat was radiant, her eyes were sparkling, and he saw no wounds or reasons for concern. Content, he left the stable and made his way to the lab.

"Ash," Gary said the moment he entered. "There you are. Can I get you to bring this to the stable?"

Ash nodded. "What is it?"

"Some new parts I ordered," Gary replied, holding out a wooden box. "I'm trying to make a machine to—well, I'll explain later, I'm kind of busy right now." He eyed the graphs before him with obvious anticipation, no doubt ready to solve another mystery he had been working on

"Yeah, no problem." Ash took the box, smiled, and made to return to the stable. It didn't bother him in the least that he had just been there moments earlier; he would make a hundred trips back and forth for Gary, if only to make him happy.

The past few weeks had been challenging, but they had also been rewarding in their own way. Ash was beginning to get in touch with a part of himself that he thought he had forgotten. A part that loved Pokémon, that was passionate about training them and getting to know them. A part that he had been disconnected from for far too long.

He set the wooden box onto a larger crate and wiped his forehead. Training the Ponyta was not easy: he generally spent most of his time chasing after them, helping when they stumbled or toppled over. It was hard work, but like most of the things he had done so far, the results were exciting and satisfying.

He went to greet the Ponyta once again, trying to decide if he should offer the new arrivals some snacks, when he heard a horrible scream shatter the peaceful silence.

"What was _that_?" he demanded. The Ponyta began to snort and paw the ground, and he tried to settle them down when someone burst into the stable.

"Ash!" Ross, one of Professor Oak's aides, roared. "We need you at the lab!"

"What happened?" he asked sharply, already running with Ross across the grounds.

He required no answer, however, as the lab came into view. Flames were erupting from its back windows, and Ash's mind began to reel at once. Through panicked thoughts of the papers that could be lost, the Pokémon that could be injured, and the possible damage to the lab itself, one thing in particular stood out: his worry for Gary. Was he hurt? Did he need Ash's help?

Heart twisting as though it was being rung out, Ash sped into the building and cut through the crowd of aides who were attempting to salvage what documents they could.

"Have you seen Gary?" he asked Ross, who was white-faced and helping lead a frazzled Gloom outside.

"No, I haven't."

Frustrated, Ash rushed over to where he had last seen him: in the back room. Smoke was filling the air, causing him to cough and splutter. He raised his collar over his mouth and nose, trying to make out a human body through the haze.

"Gary?" He thought he saw someone, but as he approached, it turned out to be one of the many machines populating the room. It was now becoming hot, very hot, and there was no sign of anyone around. He was just about to turn around and search elsewhere when he heard a feeble voice call his name.

His heart stopped as he whipped around and called, "Gary? Is that you?"

He thought he heard a muffled noise coming from deeper within the room, and so he stumbled forward, ignoring his dizziness. He let out a long sigh of relief as he saw Gary, crouched by the window, a Pidgey in his arms.

"Ash," Gary yelled, "I need your help. I need to get this guy out of the window so he can fly to safety. He won't let me carry him outside."

"This is crazy," Ash said, grabbing the bird Pokémon. "Here, let me just—"

A sharp beak began to furiously peck at his arm, and he was forced to release the terrified Pidgey and let it run towards the closed window. He swore and pushed all of his weight against the frame, pulling up the latch at the same time.

"It's jammed," he said. "I can't get it."

"You have to, Ash. Here, let me help."

Gary tried to rise from the ground, but he was too weak to do more than clutch the desk and then fall back down.

"No, don't..." Blood was pounding in Ash's ears, and he tried to think logically as panic began to suffocate him. All he could think of was opening the damned window, and helping Gary get to safety. He had to. He had no choice.

The window suddenly burst open, and fresh air rushed into the room, accompanied by the sound of crackling fire. The flames were no doubt directly beneath them. Ash quickly stooped down to grab hold of the Pidgey, when he lost his balance and plummeted out of the building.

***

"This is our most ingenious plan ever, if I do say so myself," Jessie giggled, eyeing their stolen Poké Balls with glee. They contained a Vileplume, Fearow, Raichu, Pidgeot, and several Dratini.

"'Da boss is sure gonna be happy with us three," Meowth said. "Just imagine his surprise at asking for _one_ evolved Pokémon, and getting four!"

"Not to mention these deliciously rare Dratini," James added, a hint of pride in his voice. "Which _I_ found, I might add."

"And whose brilliant plan was it to set the lab on fire?" Jessie demanded.

"Might I reminded you's two humans that if it wasn't for good old Meowth, we would'a never known about this place in the first place?"

"Meowth has a point," James conceded. "Why, if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be sitting here with such lovely Pokémon for the boss."

"I can already imagine the sort of jewellery I'll be buying once I'm promoted," Jessie said, gazing off into space. "Why, I've always wanted a pair of gold earrings, and a necklace, and a few rings...Oh, and a charming silver bracelet would be nice..."

Meowth shook his head. "She's off to la-la land, as usual."

"Oh, shut your Meowth," Jessie snapped. "I'm sure you've got a few purchases you'd like to make as well."

"Well, now that you mention it," Meowth replied, "that new restaurant that opened up in Viridian City looks awful appealing."

"What new restaurant? You never said anything about a new restaurant!" James' eyes widened considerably as he made his inquiries.

"Some joint called Le Petit Souper," he explained. "Apparently their food's top notch, though 'da price ain't too great."

"Price? Who cares about price?" Jessie laughed. "What with the new promotion we're sure to get, a fancy restaurant is just another excuse for us to spend our money."

"Say, aren't we floating over Viridian City as we speak?" James asked, peering over the edge of the hot air balloon.

"That's right, Jimmy. I says we go down and have ourselves a real feast."

"Oh, yes, a victory feast!" James nodded his head rapidly, mouth already watering. "I like the sound of that."

"And while we're there, I can search for those exquisite earrings I wanted," Jessie added.

They began to laugh with joy as the balloon sank lower, nearing the hill where they planned to touch ground.

* * *

Writing Team Rocket was so much fun! I tried to keep their speech as close to character as possible, as well as their personnalities. I hope that my little additions, like having Meowth say "'da" instead of "the", added to the story without making it distracting and irritating. I also know that, yes, I'm being pretty cruel to Ash and Gary, but what's a story without a little drama? Please review, and thanks for reading.


	7. Chapter 7

**-Chapter Seven-**

"Ash?"

He heard his name being called, and he meant to respond, but he wasn't capable of working up the energy to move his jaw. His head hurt, the pain jabbing fiercely around his forehead, and his entire body was sore.

"I think he's waking up."

He recognized that voice, and he wanted to answer it. Using all of his might to crack open his eyes, he tried to speak but no words came out. Clearing his throat, he tried again.

"Gary?"

His vision was blurry at first. He blinked a few times, forcing the room to focus itself, and he recognized Gary's face hovering over him.

"He's awake," Gary said, a wide grin on his face.

"Oh, Ash," he heard his mother cry. He slowly twisted his head to the side, and saw that she was sitting by his side, tears in her eyes. "Oh, my little Ash, thank goodness you're okay."

He let out a deep sigh, and tried to lift his hands in order to rub his eyes. They felt like they were full of grit. He could not manage, however, and his arms fell limply onto the sheets.

"How do you feel, honey?" she asked in little more than a whisper.

"Fine," he croaked. "Sore."

"You fell from quite a height," Gary said. Now that he could see properly, he realised how pale Gary was. There were bags under his eyes, his hair wasn't groomed, and his hands were trembling.

"You look like a mess." His voice was barely audible, but Gary seemed to understand, because he laughed and ducked his head.

"Yeah, I guess," he said. "I've been here all night, waiting for you to wake up. You don't look too great yourself."

Ash closed his eyes and groaned. His mother left the room for a moment and called for someone. Within a few moments, a doctor appeared, and he gave Ash a smile.

"Good to see you're awake," he said, checking his clipboard. "You're lucky to be alive, Ash. You're also lucky you didn't break anything."

He was shocked. "I didn't?"

"No, but you _will_ have some bruises for a few weeks, and you'll have to take it easy. From what I understand, you fell into a snow bank, and you should be very grateful."

"Snow bank?"

"From the ploughs," Gary explained. "We dumped all the snow from the Ponyta's track over by the lab...right where you fell. Some of the aides were complaining about it, saying that when it melted all the water would leak into the parking lot, but I guess it was a good idea after all."

"It certainly was," his mother agreed. "I don't even want to think of what would have happened if Ash hadn't fallen into the snow."

Ash opened his mouth to reply, but he was forced to shut it almost immediately. Speaking had taken quite a toll on his throat, which felt as though someone had rubbed it with sandpaper.

"Your throat is going to hurt for quite a while," the doctor said, "because you inhaled all that smoke. We also had to put you on an oxygen mask for a while, but fortunately, there will be no long-term effects."

Ash nodded weakly. He knew that he had been through a lot of stress, and that it was natural to be exhausted. All the same, he would have liked to be able to stay awake, if only to watch Gary.

"You should get some more sleep, sweetheart," his mother said, kissing his brow. "I'll stay right here while you rest."

"I'd better get home," Gary grimaced. "I hope you don't mind, Ash, but I should really shower and try to sleep. And tomorrow I'll have to help fix up the lab, so I might not be able to come."

Ash wanted to ask how everything was, and if anyone else had been injured, but he had just enough energy to shake his head. Of course he wouldn't mind if Gary went home: it wasn't as if he could enjoy his company while he was asleep. Gary gave him a bracing smile, waved goodbye to his mother, and then left the room.

Ash fell asleep moments later.

***

"I'm fine, mom," he grumbled, getting out of bed. "Honestly. The doctor said there's nothing wrong with me."

"All the same, honey..." Ash's mother held his arm as he stood for the first time in two days, watching him with fearful eyes. "You look a bit wobbly."

"That's to be expected, Mrs. Ketchum," the doctor said, popping into the room. "Ash has been in bed for a few days. It's natural that he won't be up jogging right away."

His mother failed to respond, instead biting her bottom lip and crossing her arms. "Well, if you think he's alright, Doctor Grant..."

"Not to worry. His condition is perfectly fine."

Mrs. Ketchum sighed, admitting defeat. "Alright, then, you can take him home."

Gary nodded, stepping forward to help Ash into his coat. "Don't worry, mam. I'll take good care of your son."

Ash couldn't help but blush at this comment: it pleased him enormously. Of course, the last thing he wanted was to be a burden to Gary, seeing as he had so much to do at the lab. He zipped up his coat and gave his mother a hug.

"I'll call as soon as I get home," she said, pulling her car keys out of her purse. "You let me know if you need anything."

"Don't worry," Ash sighed, though he knew it was falling on deaf ears. Mrs. Ketchum hugged Gary goodbye, shook Doctor Grant's hand, and left. Ash couldn't help but be relieved: his mother worried far too much.

"Thanks for everything, Doctor Grant," Ash said.

"Anytime," he replied. "Go home and rest, and try to take it easy."

"I'll do that."

Gary lead Ash out into the parking lot, where the sun was shining brightly. It was a relief to finally leave the white walls of his hospital room, where he had nothing to do but sleep and eat.

"I can't wait to get back and work with the Ponyta," he said.

"Now now, Ashy-boy." Gary shook his head, causing Ash's heart to both beat faster and sink. It was funny, the effects Gary had on him. "You just got out of the hospital. You need your rest."

Ash glared as he got into the car. He was silent while Gary pulled out onto the road, but after a while, he could take it no longer. "I'm perfectly fine, you know."

Gary hesitated, seeming to choose his words wisely. "I know that. But your mother isn't the sort of woman I want to mess with."

Ash laughed "You're afraid of my _mom_? She's harmless."

Gary chose not to respond, instead focusing on the road. After a bit, he said, "I think we're going to have to close down the lab."

Ash turned into his seat, unsure if he was dreaming. "_What?_"

"There's just not enough money to repair everything," Gary said. His voice was controlled and quiet, but Ash could see that he was clearly pained by what he was saying. "All the papers were saved, so I can send them over to gramps...But the machines are broken, and there's just nothing I can do about that. There's not enough money. And that fire didn't start by itself...Someone has it out for us. Ten Pokémon were stolen."

"No," Ash breathed. He could hardly believe his ears. "They couldn't be."

"They were," Gary said grimly. "On top of that, you got hurt, and a few aides got some nasty burns. Whoever started that fire isn't playing around. It's best to just stop before it gets worst."

"But all the Pokémon..."

"Oh, don't worry about them," he said. "I'm thinking of updating the gym. Adding a whole other part for hurt or abandoned Pokémon to live in, where I can train them and take care of them." He paused, then added, "You could keep working there, if you want."

"Yeah, of course." He took no time to reflect on his response; why would he? Helping the Pokémon was something he enjoyed, and the results were encouraging. He had nothing waiting for him back home, expect a dark room and the prospect of lazing about.

"Great." There was another comfortable silence, and rain began to beat down on the car. Gary flicked a switch and the windshield wipers activated, swishing back and forth every few seconds. "Say, Ash, talking about the gym, why don't you get your last badge?"

The question took him by surprise, and he wasn't sure how to respond. Of course, in general, speaking to Gary was difficult: his nerves generally made it so that he was only capable of saying "yes" or "no". But this was something he hadn't discussed with anyone, because the truth was one of his biggest secrets. "Dunno."

"You should," Gary continued, apparently oblivious to the tension. "I'll battle you tonight, if you want. See what happens."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I just...can't, Gary."

Gary's face was thoughtful as he parked in the driveway. When Ash made to remove his seatbelt, he shook his head. "I don't get it."

Ash paused, hand in mid-air. "Don't get what?"

"Why you would let one crummy loss stop you from becoming a Pokémon Master."

Ash blushed. "It's not like that, Gary. It's not that at all."

"What is it, then?" Gary cocked one of his eyebrows, and this angered Ash considerably. Gary was back to his usual, sneering self.

"None of your business," he growled, pulling off his seatbelt and getting out of the car.

"It wouldn't kill you to explain, you know," Gary said. "Unless you don't even know the answer yourself."

"I do. It's just personal, that's all."

"Like what?"

"Would you _quit it_?" He grinded his teeth together in frustration. "I want to keep it to myself, alright? Why do you care?"

"Because, Ash, you're supposed to be my competition." It was now Gary's turn to get angry, and patched of red were appearing on his cheeks. "And all you do is sit around and feel sorry for yourself over one stinking match! Don't you think that bothers me? And everyone else? That you're wasting your life away? How do you think your mom feels?"

Ash got out of the car and slammed the door shut, heading for the house. When he tried the front door and realised it was locked, he growled in irritation and went around to the backyard. Gary was close behind him.

"Don't walk away from me, Ash," he shouted. "Don't you dare walk away from me. What are you, some sort of coward?"

Ash climbed up onto the deck and tried the door. This one was locked as well. "Open the damn door, Gary."

"Not until you explain what's going on. I'm tired of everyone leaving you alone, feeling sorry for you, and just letting you sulk. Yeah, sure, you've been doing better since you started working for me, but you're not the Ash I used to know."

"Used to know?" Ash laughed bitterly. "That's funny. I don't think you knew me at all, Gary. I think you were too busy insulting me and putting me down to get to know me."

"At least it kept you going," he retaliated viciously. "At least it made you _do_ something, instead of sitting around all day."

"Maybe I'm tired of being a trainer, alright? What's wrong with that?"

"Everything, Ash, because people don't just give up on their dreams like that." Gary seemed to be reaching the limits of his patience: he pounded the brick wall in anger. "This wasn't something dumb, like a toddler wanting to be a fireman. This was your ambition, something you wanted more than anything, and you just gave up. I want to know _why._ I want to know if it's my fault, for beating you at that battle."

Ash was silent, letting the rain drip from his hair onto his face. He couldn't tell him, he just couldn't. He felt as though he was ready to break down and cry, something he would never forgive himself for doing. "Just open the door, Gary."

"You know what? Fine." Gary marched forward, shoved the key into the knob, and swung the door open so hard that it crashed into the kitchen wall behind it. "Go fucking lay down and sleep, Ash. Your favourite hobby."

He rushed down the stairs of the deck.

"Where are you going?"

Gary didn't answer. He left the backyard, and Ash expected to hear the engine of his car start. When it didn't, he hurried into the house, shut the door, and went into the living room. Looking out the window, he saw Gary sitting in his car, head on the steering wheel. Ash felt horrible.

"Hey, Pikachu." His Pokémon came to greet him, no doubt curious as to what was going on. Ash hadn't seen him since he'd been hospitalized, as Pokémon weren't allowed in the building. He wanted to explain what had happened, and assure him that he was fine, but he didn't have the heart. He went into his room, and just has Gary had ordered, he sank into bed and pulled the covers well above his head. He was wet and shivering, but he didn't care.

It was silent, save the sound of raindrops pattering on the roof, and Gary's yelling voice echoed in his mind. He replayed what had been said, and what he had not said that he should have, and he felt his heart break into a hundred little pieces.


	8. Chapter 8

**-Chapter Eight-**

Before Ash could protest, his bedroom door opened, and he heard step inside. He squeezed his eyes shut, wishing he was asleep. He didn't want to speak to Gary. He didn't want to look at him. He didn't even want to think about him.

"Ash?"

He sat up, shocked, his mouth hanging open. "Brock? What're _you_ doing here?" He could hardly believe that Brock was standing in his room, looking the same as he had when they'd last spoken.

"I wanted to see how you were doing," Brock explained. His face was filled with concern, and Ash wondered how much Gary had told him. "I heard from your mom what happened. Sorry to just walk in like this...Gary said that you probably weren't sleeping."

"Uh, no, it's okay, I was just getting up," Ash replied. "Here, why don't you go into the kitchen? I'll be down in a second."

Brock nodded and left, closing the door behind him. Ash was grateful to have a moment to pull himself together: he had not been expecting any visitors. He put on some fresh clothes and tidied himself up, unsure of what Brock was doing here. Sure, he'd been hurt, but it wasn't as if he had been dying or anything. There was certainly no need to come _visit._ A phone call would have sufficed.

When he entered the kitchen, he found Brock and Gary at the table, cups of tea in their hands. Gary immediately rose from the table, grabbed his coat off of the hook by the stove, and left without a word. Ash sat at the table, anger rising inside of him until he felt sure that he was going to be physically sick, and he felt his hands ball into fists.

"So," he said, attempting to level his voice. "How've you been?"

"Err, fine," Brock replied. "What was that all about?"

"What?"

"Gary. He seems like he's really mad at you, Ash."

"Who, Gary?" He laughed, and even to his own ears it sounded bitter and fake. "No, Gary's always like that. Don't you remember when we were younger?"

"Why do you work for him if he acts like that?" Brock obviously wasn't buying it.

He shrugged. "Good pay. Easy work. It gives me a lot of experience."

"Yeah, but...you know you could have come over to my gym, Ash," he said quietly. "I haven't seen you in forever. Neither has Misty."

"Well, you know, I've been pretty busy."

"According to Gary, you've been lying in bed for the past three days."

"Oh, he said that, did he?" Ash felt as though he could hardly sit still; he was ready to jump out of his chair and chase after Gary, to yell at him and put him in his place. What was his _problem_? "Well, there hasn't been much to do, since the lab's closing down. I've got some vacation time until the gym's up and running."

"I see." Brock was silent for a moment, taking a sip of his tea. Ash decided to try and steer the subject away from himself.

"So, how's everything with you?"

"Not bad," he said, smiling. "The gym's looking fantastic...you'll have to come check it out. Misty's doing good, too."

"That's great, Brock...That's really great."

"We're worried about you, Ash," Brock sighed. "You never call, let alone visit. And Gary told me about the fight you guys got into. I'm not about to start asking you questions like he did, but at the same time..." He trailed off, looking out the window.

Ash followed his gaze, eyeing the wet lawn as he reflected on the horrible fight between Gary and himself. He was glad that Brock wasn't going to pry, though a part of him wished he would. It would have been helpful, almost liberating, to have at least _one_ person know what he was going through.

"I'm fine," he lied. "I think Gary's just disappointed he can't beat me in another battle."

"The Ash I knew wouldn't have given up. He would have jumped right back up and taken another swing at Gary. He would have done whatever it took to beat him, and then to be a Pokémon Master."

"People change," Ash said after a long stretch, staring at the wooden table. He couldn't bear to meet Brock's eyes.

Brock sighed, bringing his cup to his lips. "They sure do."

***

Brock stayed for three more days. Gary didn't seem to mind the company, though he was rarely at home anyways. Ash wondered why he didn't just fire him, and tell him to pack his bags and go home. It didn't seem as though he was willing to talk things out anytime soon. But Gary continued to ignore him, and Ash followed suite, just as uninterested in breaking the silence.

Brock enjoyed his stay immensely, taking long walks with Ash in the grounds. They visited the stables and pet the Ponyta, went by the lake and fed the Magikarp, and observed all of the Pokémon in their natural habitats. Brock was beside himself with excitement, given that he yearned to someday be the world's best breeder.

"Amazing," he would frequently say, shaking his head in wonder. "Amazing, the system Gary's got going here."

Ash privately agreed, though he would never admit it.

When it was time for Brock to head back to Pewter City, he seemed reluctant to leave. Ash got the feeling that Brock had something to tell him, something he'd been meaning to say. He would often open his mouth, as though ready to speak, and then think better of it and turn away. It was obvious that he had something to reveal, or to ask, that he had yet to put into words. This proved true as they took one last stroll around the Ponyta's track, and he stopped and cleared his throat.

"Ash," he said. "Are you sure you want to stay here?"

"What? Yeah, of course I do." He was taken aback; why wouldn't he want to keep a job that he enjoyed?

"Why would you want to stay with Gary, though? I mean, Ash, let's be realistic here, he treats you like you're not even there. How can you live in the same house as him? You two seem to really hate each other."

Ash let out a long, weary sigh, and went to lean against the fence. There was a cool breeze whipping through his hair, and his cheeks felt numb. "It wasn't always like this, though. Before, we got along fine. And then we had that fight, and..."

Brock nodded. "Then why don't you go and talk things out with him?"

"Me?" Ash asked sharply. "_He's_ the one who should come and talk things out."

"He's just worried about you, Ash," Brock reasoned with him. "He didn't mean to make you mad. He's just feeling like the rest of us. We don't know what to do with you anymore. You're not the same."

"Sure I am," he said, forcing a smile onto his face. "I'm happy here, Brock. I get to take care of Pokémon and help them get stronger. And Pikachu lives with a whole pack of Pikachu, just over there in the forest. Remember that time when we found all those Pikachu, and I was ready to go and give him up, just so he could live with his own kind?"

Brock smiled at the memory. "Yeah, I do. I guess now Pikachu can have best of both worlds: he's living with other Pikachu, and he can still be with you."

"Exactly. We're both happy here, Brock, you just came at a bad time."

"Still..." The grin on Brock's face was replaced by a frown. "I don't understand why you don't try to get your last gym badge, Ash. The gym's less than five minutes from here. And the League Tournament's coming up real soon."

Ash shrugged. "I'm not into it this year."

"Why not? You're so close. To get your last badge, all you need to do is beat Gary.

Before he could stop himself, he muttered, "That's the problem."

"What is?" Brock asked gently. "You don't want to battle Gary again, in case you lose?"

"Something like that," he mumbled, staring in the opposite direction. He felt extremely uncomfortable with the turn the conversation had taken. "It doesn't matter."

"Sure it does, Ash," Brock said. "If you start training now, you'll be able to join the League Tournament for sure. Just one more gym badge. And hey, to get that badge, you're going to have beat Gary. You can prove to yourself that you can do it. That's all the confidence you'll need to go to the competition and win!"

Ash shook his head. "I can't, Brock. I just can't."

Brock seemed unsure of what to say. Finally, he clapped his hand onto Ash's shoulder, and smiled. "Well, maybe you'll tell me why someday."

"I don't think you want to know," Ash replied. "Trust me...it's not what you're thinking. What anyone's thinking."

"Try me." Brock crossed his arms and leaned back onto the fence. "We've been friends for a long time, Ash. You know you can tell me anything. It's not like I'm going to laugh or anything."

Ash put his face into his hands. He felt pressured to tell him, and he wanted the relief that would come with admitting the truth. He was tired of lying to everyone, of hiding how he truly felt, and he knew that if anyone was going to accept what he had to say, it would be Brock.

"Brock..." He took a deep, steadying breath. He couldn't believe he was doing this. "This has to stay between us."

"Of course."

"You know...Gary?"

"Yeah?"

"Brock..." He sank to the ground, ignoring the mud seeping through his jeans, and covered his head with his arms. He couldn't stop himself. "Brock, I like Gary."


	9. Chapter 9

**-Chapter Nine-**

Brock was silent as he regarded Ash, who had pursed his lips after delivering the truth. If he wasn't careful, he was going to lose his mind completely, and start blabbering about everything he had ever kept to himself. He couldn't believe he had just done that. Brock was going to hate him. He was never going to speak to him again.

He felt Brock crouch down next to him, and a hand was placed on his back. "Ash, what do you mean by that? Like Gary is in.._like_ him?"

"Yeah," he said ruefully. "As in knots in my stomach when I see him, my mouth going dry when he talks to me, and staying up all night thinking of him."

"How long have you liked him for?"

Ash shook his head. "I don't know. Forever. Since we were little kids, I guess. It took a while for me to admit it to myself."

"Wow," Brock said. "So does that mean...you're..."

"No," he said at once. "Gary's the only guy I've ever liked. It's weird...it doesn't make any sense. But that's what it is." He chuckled darkly. "You probably think I'm crazy."

"The only thing that's crazy is that you kept this from us for so long," Brock sighed. He helped Ash to his feet and leaned back onto the fence. "What did you think Misty and I were going to do, never talk to you again?"

"You don't hate me?" Ash hardly dared believe that it was true. When Brock started to laugh, he felt relief pump through his system like pure oxygen, and the lump that had been lodged in his throat seemed to disappear.

"Why would I hate you?" Brock asked. "Hey, if you like Gary, then you like Gary. I don't see _why_, seeing as he's always made fun of you, and insulted you, and generally put you down all your life."

"I know," Ash moaned. "I know."

"Well, do you think he likes you back?"

"Yeah, right," Ash said. "Even if he did, he won't now. He's hated me ever since we fought."

"Ash..." Brock's voice was pregnant with sympathy as the truth dawned on him. "Is that why you were so crushed when Gary beat you? You liked him?"

"Yeah, it is." It felt wonderful to finally tell someone, to admit the truth, to confide in a person he could trust. He had bottled this up for too long, and now that he was finally letting it out, it didn't seem like he could stop himself. "He beat me, and it was a lousy loss, too. I couldn't even think, Brock. Not with him standing there, looking..." He blushed and shook his head. "Well, looking like Gary. And before I knew it, before I could push my feelings to the side and get into the match, he'd already won. I failed my Pokémon, and myself."

He turned to face Brock, feeling the tears brimming in his eyes. But he didn't care if he cried. If he carried on. It didn't matter anymore, because he had the right to cry. He'd been heartbroken for too long. "So how can I battle him for my last badge? I can't. Besides, I've come far enough...I've got seven of them. That's not easy, you know, getting seven badges. Well, technically fifteen, from the first League Tournament I was in. I'm happy with that."

"Happy with being just enough?" Brock frowned. "Why not go all the way?"

"I can't." His voice broke, and now he was crying in earnest, shoulders shaking. "I can't let Gary beat me again. Because he will, Brock. The way I feel for him...It's too strong, it drives me crazy. I can't stand it. I get wrapped up in myself when I see him, and I can't think straight. I'd never be able to battle him and win. And when he beats me...I'll feel even more like a loser. He'll thinking I'm even more pathetic." He swallowed audibly and wiped his eyes on the back of his hand. Letting out a long, shaky breath, he added, "He'll never like me if he thinks I'm weak and worthless. That is, if he doesn't think that already."

"You can't just sit around and give up, though," Brock said softly. He fished in his pockets for a tissue, which he handed to his friend. "You deserve better than that. And let's say you train hard, and you go into the gym, and you beat Gary. He'll be so impressed! Won't that be great?"

"Yeah," Ash smiled sadly. "If only it could happen."

***

The gym looked better than Ash had ever seen it. Additions had been quickly built onto the back of the building, and now the Pokémon had facilities for training that were spacious and well-equipped. He grinned and turned to Pikachu, whose eyes were wide in wonder.

"Want to train, Pikachu?" he asked.

"Pika, pi!"

"Let's head in here," Ash said, walking into a brightly-lit room. The floor was empty, and a few posters bearing training techniques decorated the walls.

"Alright, Pikachu, let's practice your agility," Ash called out, moving to the back of the room. "We need to warm up first...hang on..."

He darted back into the main room and grabbed hold of some tennis balls. "Alright, I'm going to throw these, and you're going to catch them. Easy enough?"

Pikachu nodded fiercely, no doubt eager to start training. It had been a while since they had.

Ash threw the first ball high in the air, and Pikachu leapt up in order to catch it in his mouth.

"Good job, buddy," he said. "Here's another one." He stopped giving warnings after a while, hoping to catch Pikachu off guard. He didn't, however, and the electric mouse managed to catch all twenty balls that were thrown.

"That was great," Ash smiled. "Right, well for your agility, let me just—"

"Ash?" a voice from behind interrupted him. He felt his heart become lodged in his throat.

"Gary?" he squeaked. "Um, sorry, I just thought I'd train for a bit. Um. We can head outside."

"No, it's fine," Gary replied, looking around the room. "I was just...surprised to see you here, that's all"

"Oh." Ash searched for something to say, and finally added, "Yeah, well. It's raining out, so I figured it'd be better to train here. If you don't mind."

"That's fine." Gary's eyes came to rest on Ash, and he felt his cheeks heat up. When finally the other trainer looked away and gave a small smile to Pikachu, he said, "Just make sure you lock up afterwards."

Gary made to walk away when, before he could stop himself, Ash blurted out, "Uh, Gary? Where are the balance beams?"

Gary stopped, his hand on the doorknob. "In the main room, when you first walk in."

Ash felt like even more of an idiot. "Oh, yeah. Right. Thanks."

"I'm making spaghetti," Gary said after a while. His voice was quiet, almost thoughtful, and Ash wondered if he was working to keep anger out of his tone. From what he knew, he still hadn't been forgiven for their fight.

"Oh, okay, I'll help out," Ash replied. "I'll head home around four."

Gary nodded, twisting the knob and pushing open the door. "That'll be fine. Have fun, you two."

Ash stared at the ground, oblivious to Pikachu, who was sniffing the tennis balls by his feet. Had he gone too far, offering to help make dinner? Of course not. It was the polite thing to do. His mother would be proud. All the same, Gary might not want his company, and he didn't want to anger him further....

Utterly confused, Ash sighed and went to get the balance beams. "Come on, Pikachu, let's see how you do with these."

***

"Uh, Gary?" Ash asked, stirring the pot feverishly. "Is this okay?"

"Jeeze, Ash, no need to start a tidal wave," Gary laughed, coming to his side. "The idea is to_ stir_ the noodles, not massacre them."

"Oh, right," he whimpered, slowing his pace considerably. "Sorry."

"Ash, have you ever cooked spaghetti before?" Gary's face was filled with doubt.

"Sure I have," he said defensively. "It's just been a while."

Gary peered into the pot, the sides of his lips twitching as he saw the bits of noodles floating in the water. "Uh-huh."

Ash sighed in defeat as Gary took control, trying to salvage whatever noodles he could. Ash was sent off to set the table, and he spent an inordinate amount of time aligning the silverware. He had to prove that he could at least do _something_ right. By the time he was done, the kitchen was filled with a mouth-watering smell.

"Anything I can help you with?" he asked, shuffling closer to the oven.

Gary eyed him warily. "No, Ash, that's alright. You can just have a seat while I finish up."

Ash followed the order, and watched as Gary filled two plates with spaghetti and meatballs. He grinned as he was served the delicious meal, and was pleased to see that the noodles had come out reasonably well.

After the first bite, he made to tell Gary that it was excellent, when he saw that the latter was staring at him already, awaiting his approval. Blushing, he said, "This is really good." Gary smiled in relief.

"I'm glad you think so," he said, twisting a few strands of spaghetti around his fork. "You set the table real nice."

Ash grimaced. "Thanks. So...what's the special occasion, anyways?"

Gary speared a meatball as he said in a casual voice, "I wanted to apologize."

"Apologize?"

"Yeah, for the way I acted the other day," he replied. "I was way out of line. Your life is your business, not mine. I shouldn't have asked you all that stuff, and I especially shouldn't have gotten my nose out of joint when you wanted to keep it private."

Ash was shocked. He sat back in his chair, watching the trainer before him, and tried to think of something to say. Of course, Gary had been much more kind and polite towards him since their younger days, but this was not expected. Gary Oak apologizing to Ash Ketchum? Without being forced or threatened? It was unheard of.

Realising that Gary was waiting for an answer, he shrugged. "It's fine, really. Sorry for getting so worked up."

"I would have, too," he said. "So I figured I'd make it up to you with dinner."

"Gary..." Ash sighed. "You didn't have to go through all this, honestly. I wasn't even mad anymore."

"I just wanted to make sure that when I apologized, you accepted it," he said.

"It meant that much to you that I forgave you?" Ash asked, more bewildered than ever.

"You sound pretty proud of that, Ashy-boy," Gary teased. "Of course it mattered to me. Living with someone you're not on speaking terms with isn't that fun."

Ash nodded, ignoring his first comment. Yes, it did mean an awful lot to him that Gary cared so much about being forgiven. It meant the world to him. But of course, he couldn't tell him that, and so he contented himself with eating the remaining noodles on his plate.

"You ate that pretty fast," Gary noted. "Want some more?"

"No, thanks, I'm full," he said. "That was really great. We should get in fights more often, so you outdo yourself with dinner again."

"You just want to see me grovelling at your feet," Gary chuckled. "Deep down inside, you like it that I went to all this trouble."

"Ha, you wish." Ash got up from the table and brought his plate to the sink, wondering how Gary couldn't possibly hear the frantic beating of his heart. Because he was right. He was completely right. The fact that Gary had done all of this meant the world to him. It hurt his face to stop himself from smiling, for that was what he wanted to do: smile, jump up and down, and squeal like some horrible fan girl.

Gary wasn't mad at him. He wanted his forgiveness. He seemed to care about him, or at least, about their friendship.

All was well in the world.

* * *

Okay I feel this may need a bit of clarification: I've messed with canon time a bit. It seems the timeline in the cartoons is just, wonky at best, and I doubt every single day Team Rocket could get new toys from their boss to hunt down the twerps with, and that in less than 100 days Ash's Pokemon would be powerful enough to compete in a huge tournament. Or that in, say, 60 days (2 months) he'd be powerful enough to battle Koga, who has been training his entire life. It's just silly. It's more realistic to expect that a few days or weeks pass between the episodes. With that being said, I like to think that Ash left home at the age of ten, he travelled for I'd say three to five years, so now he's at most fifteen, and now he has all of his badges. So then he trained for a few months, until he was sixteen, and participated in the League tournament. And now where my story takes off, it's been quite a while, say a bit over two years, so they're a tad older than eighteen and nineteen. This seems a hundred times more likely, judging by the content of the canon, than them being thirteen or whatever.

So to sum it all up, Ash is eighteen, Gary is nineteen. The first League Tournament is done. Ash was going around to different gyms to get badges to compete in the next Tournament, and he only needs his eighth to have them all. I hope this clarifies the timeline.


	10. Chapter 10

**-Chapter Ten-**

"That was some fine grub," Meowth said happily, sinking lower onto the floor. "Meowth's satisfied for the next nine lives."

"Once you're done thinking with your stomach, you can come and help," Jessie growled. "This basket isn't going to repair itself, you know."

"Well, Jessie, if it was up to me," said James, "I would just have the basket repaired by a professional."

"We can't do that, you numbskull," she snapped. "The entire city is looking for us. Haven't you seen those posters?"

"Don't even mention them," James sighed, sitting down next to Meowth. "Those half-rate photographers failed to capture my good side!"

"Oh, James, snap out of it!" Jessie threw him a scathing look. "It doesn't matter what they look like. What matters is that if we walked into a shop, anyone would recognize us."

"And that would mean straight off to the slammer," Meowth concluded.

Jessie nodded, grateful that somebody understood the gravity of the situation. "I knew we shouldn't have stopped by that restaurant."

"But Jessie!" James cried. "_You_ were the one who went and robbed that jewellery store! If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't—"

"_Quiet_!" she hollered. "This necklace happens to be well worth the pain it took to get it. Besides, it doesn't matter what happened or who did what! What matters is that we fix this ridiculous balloon and get out of here."

"Yeah, pronto, before them cops come," Meowth said. He tore a piece of duct tape off of the roll before handing it to Jessie.

They worked in silence, concentrating on patching the hole in its entirety.

"I don't see what the big deal is," James muttered, tracing lines into the dirt. "So what if the basket's broken? The balloon's fine."

"The big deal, James, is that at any moment one of us could step on the hole, make it wider, and fall right through," Jessie said sharply.

"Or one of them Poké Balls could escape," Meowth added. "And that's the last thing we want, so we need tape, tape, tape!"

They finished their patching job quickly. Standing back to observe her handiwork, Jessie grimaced. "Well, I suppose it'll have to do."

"Let's get going, so we can show 'da boss what we've got," said Meowth, climbing aboard. "Rare and evolved Pokémons! It's Team Rocket's time to shine!"

"Yes," James grinned, following suite. "And now that those three brats have parted ways, we don't have to worry about them messing up our brilliant plans!"

"James has a point," Jessie conceded. "Why, so much of a good point, that I think I'm going to have to act on it."

"Jessie?" Meowth asked, staring at up her in confusion.

"Those brats aren't here to ruin Team Rocket's hard work," she explained. "So why only settle for a few Pokémon? Why not get something the boss will _really _love?"

"A free coupon for that new buffet?" James suggested.

"No," she barked. "No, something a lot more valuable." She extracted her cell phone from one of her pockets, and began dialling a number.

"Jessie looks like she's got a real good plan this time!" Meowth exclaimed.

"Don't I always?" she smirked.

***

"It's perfect," Gary said, scanning room. "Exactly how I imagined it." He began to walk around, examining the field from various angles. "Just enough room to battle."

"It looks great," Ash agreed.

They were standing inside of the gym and admiring its final renovations. The field was made of rock, and a Poké Ball's outline was traced into it with white chalk. Large windows lined the walls, allowing sunlight to spill into the room, and there were a number of wooden doors leading to other parts of the building, such as the training area.

"So much better," Gary said enthusiastically. "Now it looks like a _real_ gym."

Pikachu leapt onto the field and sniffed the air.

"What do you think, Pikachu?" Gary asked, watching the Pokémon closely.

"Pika!"

"Looks like Pikachu likes it, too," Ash laughed. "That's a unanimous vote."

"Sure is," Gary said. "I guess we're sticking with this décor."

Ash was pleased that Gary was so satisfied with the way things had turned out. He knew that the young gym leader was under a lot of stress, what with the Pokémon that had been stolen from the lab, and the extensive damage done to the old building. The past few weeks spent fixing up the gym and recovering important documents hadn't been easy, and it was good to finally see Gary looking relaxed and at ease.

"Ash, how about a Pokémon battle?" Gary asked, heading over to the far end of the room. "Three on three."

"Uh...."

Before he could make up a plausible excuse, Gary's cell phone rang. He smiled apologetically and answered it, giving Ash a chance to think of a way to worm his way out of a battle. He realised that he wasn't going to need any excuses, however, when he saw Gary pocket his phone. His face was pale, and the expression on his face indicated that something had clearly gone wrong.

"Gary?"

"I found out he took the Pokémon," he said in a strained voice. "Team Rocket."

"Team Rocket!" Ash growled. "Those lousy crooks."

"They'll give them back in exchange for our research papers," Gary continued. "They want an answer by tomorrow morning."

"Gary..." Ash went to his side and tentatively placed a hand on his arm. "Gary, it's alright. We'll get them back."

"I can't risk it," Gary replied, head bowed. "I can't try to steal them back, in case Team Rocket finds out that we're not playing by their rules. They might do something horrible to the Pokémon. We'll just have to give them all of the papers."

"You can't just give up." Ash was exasperated: how could Gary let go of all of his hard work like that? "Professor Oak needs those papers. The whole world needs those papers. We can't just hand them over to Team Rocket."

"But Ash, there's nothing else we can do," Gary muttered.

"Sure there is," he said. "Trust me, I know Team Rocket. I've messed up their plans a hundred times. We just need to find them."

"They said to meet them in a field just outside of Viridian City," Gary said, taking out his cell phone and checking the number. "This is just a cell number, so I don't know if they were actually calling from there or not. It could be a trap."

"I doubt it," Ash replied. "Team Rocket isn't smart enough to think of something that elaborate."

They began to walk out of the gym, and while Gary was thoroughly depressed, Ash felt as pumped up as ever. This was something he knew how to do: he'd been doing it since the beginning of his Pokémon adventure. Beating Team Rocket. It was second nature to him by this point.

"The only Pokémon they have are Arbok, Weezing and Meowth," Ash explained. "I'll take along Pikachu, Squirtle and Bulbasaur, and we'll be fine. You stay here and make sure no one tries to steal those papers."

"They have two Poison-type Pokémon? Shouldn't you bring a Psychic-type in that case?"

Ash made a face. "Trust me, when it comes to Team Rocket, you don't have to do much strategizing to win."

* * *

Alrighty, so I'm expecting this story to reach about 20-25 chapters. I hope everyone plans to stick around for the duration! I'd just like to take a moment to thank all of the reviewers. I've only been writing Pokemon fanfiction for a bit under a month, and when I first started, I wasn't really sure how the fandom was going to react to me. I wasn't sure if people were generally accepting of Palletshipping, or if I was going to receive a bunch of "EW GROSS" comments. I'm very relieved and pleased to say that this isn't the case, and that you've all been wonderful and supportive. Your reviews give me the motivation to keep putting up these chapters as quick as I can, and that means a lot. Thank you!


	11. Chapter 11

****

-Chapter Eleven-

"Relax," Ash said. "Everything's going to be fine."

Gary had been worrying all afternoon. While Ash had been busy filling his backpack with supplies, healing his Pokémon, and checking his map, Gary had been following him around the house, attempting to change his mind.

"I should come," he argued. "I know this area better than you do."

Though Ash was flattered that Gary seemed to be worried about him, he replied, "You need to stay here and make sure those papers are safe. This could be a trick, and someone needs to be at the lab."

When Gary opened his mouth to protest, Ash added, "Apart from the aides. Someone who can battle."

Gary fell silent, though he was anything but pleased.

"Trust me, this is going to be easy," Ash said for what felt like the hundredth time. "You don't know Team Rocket like I do. One time they dug a hole that we were supposed to fall into, and when they covered it, they forgot where it was. They looked around for a few minutes, and finally, they fell into their own hole."

"...Oh."

"Exactly."

"Still, at least take my cell phone," Gary said, digging through his lab coat pockets.

"Yes, mom," Ash said in a weary voice, taking the small electronic device. "I promise I'll be home before midnight."

"That's not funny, Ash," Gary said quietly. "You haven't dealt with Team Rocket in a long time. They might have learned some new tricks. Setting the lab on fire was no amateur move."

Ash was not impressed. "Yeah, one of them probably lit a match and dropped it by accident."

"Just," Gary said through gritted teeth, "call me when you get there."

"Sure thing," Ash replied, eager to pacify him. He checked to see that he had all of his Poké Balls, and then turned to Pikachu. "Alright, let's do this."

Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder and nodded. It had been a while since they had battled together, and they were both eager to warm up with Team Rocket.

"We'll be back soon," Ash said, heading towards the front door. "I'll call you when I get there, and if anything else comes up."

"Okay," Gary said. "I'll be at the lab, so just call that number."

"Right. I guess I'll see you in a bit, then."

They were standing a few feet apart, Ash's face brimming with excitement, Gary's filled with worry. When he saw that Gary wasn't listening to his reassurances and that he really did seem to be anxious, Ash sighed.

"Gary, it's going to be _fine_," he said. "I've got your cell phone, and I've got Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur and Pikachu. I'm even taking Pidgeotto just in case. I've done this a million times."

"Yeah, I know," he said with a smile. "Guess I'm overreacting, huh?"

Ash tried his hardest to ignore what seemed like elephants trampling through his stomach at the thought of Gary—_Gary_—worrying about him. "Just a bit."

"Well, you better go," Gary said. "I'll hear from you soon."

"Right," Ash said bracingly. "Bye."

As Gary sat down at the kitchen table, he took a few steadying breaths. He waited to hear the front door close before letting his shoulders sag and his head drop into his arms. What was Ash thinking? Was he really that crazy, just walking into what was possibly a trap? He didn't seem to be worried at all.

"Maybe I'm just overreacting," he muttered. "Might be all the stress getting to me."

The past few weeks had been anything but easy. The lab had been rebuilt, and that had taken much time and effort on his part, though it was mostly just a place where scientists could meet and discuss theories. He didn't have the heart to rebuild a laboratory, restart his work, and possibly lose it all again. Besides, he had to concentrate on the gym. He'd been neglecting it for far too long.

He gave himself a few moments of rest before getting up from the table and making his way to the lab. He was constantly working, always pushing himself harder, and it seemed as though he never had any rest. But there was little he could do about that.

***

"Back on the road again, hey Pikachu?" Ash said, reminiscing on old times. He thought back to when it had been just Brock, Misty, Pikachu and himself, travelling around together. Those days had been simple. Life had consisted of thwarting Team Rocket's attempts to steal Pikachu, collecting badges, and catching new Pokémon. It seemed as though things were now much more complicated.

It was hard to believe that he was actually travelling. He was headed somewhere, with a plan in mind, and a goal to attain. What had happened to the sulky, morose boy who had spent most of his days lounging around in his room? He had never expected himself to be capable of getting up, grabbing his backpack and Pokémon, and setting off on a journey. Of course, he was going to arrive at his destination in about twenty minutes, but it didn't matter. It was still an adventure.

He checked his map several times, wanting to make sure that he was headed in the right direction. The road ended shortly after twisting out of Viridian City, and he was now walking in an open field that was occasionally punctuated by rolling hills. There was a forest off to the distance, and Ash caught sight of a flock of Pidgey roosting in some of the trees. He walked in silence for a few moments, enjoying the fresh air, until something caught his eye.

"What's that?" he muttered. He had spotted a round, white shape behind one of the larger hills, and he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. "Hey...is that a Snorlax?"

His pulse quickened as he checked to see how many spare Poké Balls he had. Three. This could very well be his lucky day: Snorlax weren't easy to find. Of course, there was the possibility that it was something else entirely, but that was doubtful. It resembled the white, round belly of a Snorlax perfectly.

"Prepare for trouble," he heard a female voice call out.

Ash groaned. "Here we go."

"Make it double!"

Ash looked around frantically, attempting to see where Team Rocket was. He doubled his pace, squinting into the falling darkness. Where _were_ they? He didn't fancy the idea of being watched like this.

"No, James, for the last time!" Ash stopped, deeply confused. That wasn't usually part of the motto. "That line is nothing short of dreadful."

"_I_ happen to think it's poetic," James sniffed.

The closer he approached the Snorlax, the louder Team Rocket's voices became. Ash soon realised that they were behind the hill, and that they hadn't yet noticed that he was approaching.

"Let's try again," Jessie said. "Prepare for trouble!"

Ash broke out into a run, speeding up the hill as fast as he could. He now saw, much to his embarrassment, that the white shape wasn't a Pokémon at all: it was their hot air balloon. How could he have been so dense?"

"Make it double!" he shouted, finally reaching the top.

"Pika pika!" Pikachu jumped off of his shoulder and crouched onto the ground, ready to attack.

"_What?_" Jessie and James turned around in shock, unsure of what to think.

"What is the little twerp doing here?" Jessie snarled, reaching for a Poké Ball at her waist.

"Eavesdropping on our brainstorming?" James demanded, scandalized. "I'll have you know that those lines were Team Rocket originals!"

"I could tell," Ash sighed.

"Oh, enough of this!" Jessie flung one of her Poké Balls. "Arbok, take care of him!"

"Aaaarbok!" The snakelike Pokémon curled into the grass, its head rearing back as it hissed.

"Weezing, Smog attack!" James whipped his own Poké Ball into the air, and Weezing materialized before them.

"Weezing!" it rasped before letting loose a cloud of smoke.

"Not so fast," Ash growled. "Pidgeotto, I choose you!" He let a Poké Ball fly, and Pidgeotto soared out of its confines. "Quick, blow the smoke away with your Gust attack!"

"Pidgeottotototo!" Pidgeotto screeched, flapping its large wings viciously.

Aware of the fact that Weezing's attack had failed, Jessie yelled, "Alright, Arbok, get in there!"

Arbok made to lunge, but Ash was one step ahead of it. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Pika-_chu_!" it roared, releasing a sharp bolt of lightning to crash into the opponents. Arbok, Weezing, Jessie and James writhed in pain, howling as the attack took its effect. When they slumped onto the ground, incapable of movement, Ash called out, "Hey, where's Meowth?"

He was answered by a ear-splitting _boom_ that seemed to resonate within his very core. The earth underneath him blasted away, and the last thing he saw before losing consciousness was Meowth cackling with glee.

* * *

I'm so glad with the way the action sequence turned out! I wanted it to be fast-paced, because that's the way battles generally are in the series, and I think it came out nicely. Next chapter is going to be pretty sappy and romantic, which is something of my signature, so I'm looking forward to it.


	12. Chapter 12

**-Chapter Twelve-**

It was almost eleven at night, and Gary had yet to hear from Ash. To say that he was worried would be an understatement. He was pacing the kitchen frantically, jumping at the slightest noise. His eyes were constantly trained on his cell phone sitting on the counter, waiting for the screen to light up, indicating that someone was calling. Regardless of the fact that he rarely looked anywhere other than his phone, he still picked it up every few minutes to check for any missed calls.

He had promised himself to give Ash until 11:30. He had tried calling multiple times, but no one answered. He tried to remember if it was on vibrate or not. He had two cell phones, one for work and one for personal use, and so it was hard to keep track of which settings they were on.

He was cursing himself for this now, of course, realising that he should have taken extra precautions. Was Ash just lost? Or had something worse happened? Unable to take the suspense any longer, he pulled on a thick jacket and stepped out onto the porch.

It was a chilly night, and so he pulled his collar over his neck. He couldn't sit here and wait any longer. It just wasn't in his nature. Ash could be lost, or hurt, or held hostage by Team Rocket. His mind made up, he stepped back into the kitchen for a moment to grab his cell phone, and then took the road leading South. It wasn't long before he was leaving the city and traipsing through the tall grass, attempting all the while to calm the chattering of his teeth.

He tried to prepare himself for the worst. If he couldn't find Ash, he would get in contact with Officer Jenny. If he found him, and he was hurt, he would check the extent of his injuries and then get him the necessary help. If he was not hurt, not lost, but..._dead_...well...

He shook his head, forcing himself not to think of it. He couldn't. It would drive him insane.

It wasn't long before he saw a deep crater in the ground, smoke still billowing in the air. He crouched down next to the fissure, and squinted through the dust that had yet to settle.

Ash was laying at the bottom of the hole, crippled into a foetus position. His legs were at awkward angles, and Gary wondered if they were broken. Ash's mom was going to have a heart attack.

"Ash?" he called out. When there was no answer, he swung his legs over the side and slowly lowered himself down next to the unconscious boy. He cradled him in his arms, vaguely recalling a time when their roles had been reversed. Gary had been knocked unconscious in the Viridian City gym, and Ash had come to his rescue, holding him and making sure that he was uninjured.

"Ash, wake up," he muttered. "Come on." He pressed a cold hand against his pale cheek, and said, "C'mon, Ashy-boy."

He was about to set him back down onto the ground when Ash coughed; a fit of violent, wheezy coughing, that caused his eyes to water.

"Hey there," Gary smiled, grateful beyond words that Ash had come to. "You alright? Nothing broken?"

Ash shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. "Just sore. T-they took Pikachu."

"Team Rocket?" Gary asked sharply.

"Yeah. I beat them, and...Meowth let some bomb go off. I don't know. I think it was a bomb. I just know—" He began to cough again, and Gary tightened his hold, making sure that Ash's head was supported by his arm. "I just know that they took Pikachu."

"We need to get you home," Gary said. "And I'll go find Pikachu."

"No!" he protested, attempting to rise to his feet. "I'm fine, honestly. Just a bit shook up."

"Don't be stupid, Ash," Gary snapped. "You need to go home and rest. This isn't time to have a hero complex."

In spite of the aching pain in his joints, Ash gave a wry smile and pulled himself out of Gary's grasp—albeit a bit regretfully. "It's not about that, Gary. Pikachu needs me."

Gary growled in the back of his throat, well aware of the fact that Ash was far too stubborn to reason with. "Let's get out of this hole before we make any decisions."

They climbed out with ease, and Gary was pleased to see that the exertion had not taken too much of a toll on Ash. Maybe he was stronger than he had suspected. "How do you feel?"

"I'm alright," he replied. "Once I start walking the aching should go away."

"Where do you think they headed?" Gary asked. It was now very dark outside, and the light of the moon barely allowed him to see the features on Ash's face. When Ash didn't answer, he sighed. "We should just go home. You're tired, it's the middle of the night, and we have no idea where to look. We'll call the police and tell them that Pikachu was stolen."

Ash's shoulders sagged: he knew that Gary was right. They would be of no use if they spent the entire night stumbling around in the dark. "Fine."

"Good," Gary said, pleased that he had won the argument. "Let's get going."

They walked in silence, both reflecting on the turn of events. Gary wanted to tell Ash off for being so foolish, for walking into danger like that, but he didn't have the heart to say anything. As he snuck glances in Ash's direction, watching as he occasionally winced in pain, he felt helpless. He needed to do something to help. "You keeping up alright?"

"My legs just hurt," Ash replied quickly. "I fell on them pretty hard."

"I'm guessing you're not up for a picky-back?"

Ash's heart skipped a beat. The offer was hard to refuse, but he knew that Gary was only joking around. "I don't think you could carry me."

Gary laughed. "You'd be surprised." Ash waited for him to continue, but the subject was dropped, to his disappointment.

When Viridian City came into view, Gary said, "I'll call the police as soon as we get in. You head up to your room and rest. I'll get you an icepack and some Tylenol."

"It's not that bad," Ash replied. "You don't need to go through all that trouble." He caught sight of the withering look that he was being sent, and shut his mouth abruptly. He was grateful that Gary wasn't on his case for the danger he had put himself through, and so he supposed he could endure his overreacting for a bit. It wasn't as though it didn't secretly please him.

When they finally got home, Ash hurried upstairs, eager to topple into bed. His legs were sore, he had a headache, and he was worried about Pikachu. He was glad that they had come home, for all he wanted now was to fall asleep in the soft, warm sheets.

Gary watched as Ash went upstairs, making sure that he made it to bed before switching on the light in the kitchen. He called Officer Jenny, quickly relaying the night's events to her. After receiving her promise that they would do everything in their power to track the criminals down, he bid her goodnight and then shut off his cell phone.

It was strange to be standing in the kitchen, where everything was so quiet. It only amplified the loud thoughts in his head, whirring out of control, giving him a vicious migraine. As he dug through the medicine cabinet and fetched an icepack, he tried to calm himself down, and the adrenaline soon seeped out of his body. With the rush of anxiety and fear gone, he realised that he was exhausted. In spite of this, his mind was as busy as ever, constantly questioning what had just taken place.

What if Ash hadn't been alive at the bottom of that hole? How would he have dealt with that? It was unthinkable. Even more confusing, since when had the boy mattered to him so much? Of course, regardless of the fact that they had once been rivals, Gary would have always been concerned if something were to happen to Ash. But to the point where he felt physically sick?

Coming out of his reverie, he realised that he was standing in the middle of the kitchen thinking while Ash was upstairs in pain. He chided himself and went up the stairs two steps at a time. He entered Ash's room and held up the icepack.

"Found it."

It was then that he realised that Ash was fast asleep. His black hair was spilling into his eyes, and so Gary took a moment to push the strands out of his face. He looked peaceful, at ease, but there were lines of worry etched around his lips, even in his sleep. It was evident that losing Pikachu was hard on him, but there wasn't much they could do. Gary set the bottle of water he had brought and the Tylenols on the bedside table. He had no intentions of waking Ash. He wrapped the icepack in a towel and pressed it against the boy's leg, watching his face in case he woke up.

When he continued to breathe deeply, undisturbed, Gary lifted his pants up to his knees. He then pressed the towel against the bruised skin, hoping that it would alleviate the pain. He held it there for a few minutes, staring at Ash as he reflected on their friendship.

It was a tentative friendship, no doubt, but he couldn't deny that he cared for him. Examining Ash's face, lit softly by the glow of a lamp, he smiled: it still had some of its boyishness. The rounded cheeks, the big brown eyes. His face was far more angular, his eyes sharper. They were hardly identical.

And yet Gary was capable of relating to Ash on a deeper level. A level that dealt with personality, emotions. Of course, Ash was far more hot-headed than he would ever be, and Gary was the more studious of the two. But there were still common grounds. Their love of Pokémon. Their confidence. Their ambition.

Or at least, they _had_ both been ambitious. Now it seemed that Ash was not a motivated person, and that he was no longer concentrated on becoming a Pokémon Master. It had always been his dream, and Gary was intuitive enough to know that it still was. So why wasn't he pursuing it?

Ash suddenly opened his eyes, staring down at the icepack on his legs. He blushed.

"Sorry," Gary said, removing the towel. "I just didn't want to wake you up."

"No, it's fine," Ash replied. "Thanks." He laid his head back on the pillow and took a deep breath. "I guess I was pretty tired."

"Go back to sleep," Gary said softly, returning the icepack to its original location. "I'll keep doing this for a bit. You'll be back to normal by tomorrow morning."

It was silent for a long stretch of time, until Gary felt sure that Ash was asleep. Sneaking a glance, he saw that his eyes were still open, staring at the ceiling. "Ash, you need to rest."

"I can't."

"Why's that?"

"Too much on my mind," he muttered.

"Pikachu?" When Gary saw Ash nod, he sighed. "Don't worry, we'll find him. I already called Officer Jenny, and she's on it."

"They've got a hot air balloon," Ash explained. "They could be miles away by now."

"We'll find him."

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "I guess you're right. I'm just worried, you know? Pikachu's my best friend...But I can't sit here all night and think about it. I need to sleep, so that I can help look for him tomorrow."

Gary expected Ash to shut his eyes, now that he had decided that it was in his best interest to rest, but they remained open. "Aren't you going to sleep now?"

"There's still...other stuff on my mind," Ash admitted.

"Like what?"

He didn't want to push or pry, but if Ash had brought up the subject, he supposed that there was nothing wrong with inquiring further. He promised himself not to start another fight; after all, this was solely Ash's business, and he didn't have any right to be nosy.

"The Pokémon League."

Gary nodded. "I thought so. You still have time to get your badge, Ash."

Ash weighed his words carefully, thinking ahead of time before he spoke. "Going out tonight and battling Team Rocket, even if it ended badly...it made me want to train and compete again. It's just...I don't know if I can."

"Of course you can. You're a strong trainer, Ash." He chuckled as he added, "I won't go easy on you just because we're friends, though."

Ash didn't smile. "It's not that. It's..." He took a steadying breath. "It's nothing."

Gary couldn't help but be a bit disappointed. He had been so close to making a breakthrough, to finding out what was plaguing him. Reminding himself to keep his feelings in check, he said, "It's alright."

He switched knees, resting the icepack on Ash's left leg. He was beginning to feel drowsy now, and he had to force his eyes to stay open. He was just about to topple over and start snoring when Ash said, in a voice so soft he almost missed it, "Thanks."

* * *

Awww...this chapter was sweet. I hope I managed to make it fluffy while still advancing the plot. It was fun to write from Gary's angle. Please review and let me know what you think.


	13. Chapter 13

**-Chapter Thirteen-**

"No calls?" Ash demanded, raising his head off of the pillow.

"Nothing." Gary checked the Caller ID for good measure, but remained disappointed. "No one's called all day."

Ash groaned, sinking further into the couch.

"She'll call, Ash, don't worry." He knew that his words were empty, but what else could he say? Gary hated to see Ash like this, curled up on the couch and barely saying a word. He would occasionally jump to his feet and start pacing around the house, looking out the windows as he passed them, but that never lasted for more than a few minutes.

"Want some lunch?" he offered.

Ash shook his head. How could he eat at a time like this? Pikachu was missing, and he didn't put much trust in Officer Jenny's abilities to track him down. Other times when Pikachu had been stolen replayed in his mind, and he recalled that each time, it was Ash who had found him.

"I'm sending out Pidgeotto again," he called. He scrambled out of the couch and went to the back door, which was open in order to let some fresh air into the house. Pidgeotto was perched in a tree, and he immediately soared down when Ash stepped onto the deck.

"Pidgeotto," he said. "I need you to go look again. If you see _anything_, any hot air balloon, or anyone who might look suspicious, I need to know."

Pidgeotto gave a short nod and took off immediately. Ash went into the kitchen to wait for his return.

"Do you think he'll find something?" he asked Gary, who was chewing on a banana.

Gary chose his words carefully. "Pidgeotto's going to try his hardest for you, Ash. He'll do the best he can."

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "I have to trust him."

Gary finished his banana and threw away the peel. "Sure you don't want anything? You can't go out and find Pikachu on an empty stomach."

"Maybe I'll make a sandwich," Ash said. Despite the fact that his stomach was twisting in knots, he _was_ a bit hungry. He hadn't had anything to eat since last night, and he had been through a lot since then.

"I'll get it," said Gary, waving to Ash to sit back down. "Bacon, lettuce, tomato?"

"That's fine." Ash watched Gary take the bread and lettuce out of the bridge, guilty at the work he was putting him through. "I can make myself a sandwich, Gary."

"It gives me something to do," he replied. "Sitting here waiting drives me insane."

Ash felt guiltier than ever. "You can go down to the gym."

"Then I won't hear the phone ring," he scowled. "And that'll be even worse."

"Gary, why do you care so much if I get Pikachu back?" Realising that his words had been a bit sharp, he added hastily, "I mean, I appreciate this and everything, but..."

"If I lost my Blastoise," Gary explained, "or my Arcanine, or any other of my Pokémon...I don't even know what I would do. I can't imagine what you're going through right now. And you know, I might seem like a big jerk, but I _do_ have some empathy deep inside of me."

"You're not a jerk," Ash muttered.

Gary laughed and continued to slice a tomato. "I was when we were little."

Ash sighed. "Maybe a bit. But only towards me."

"Yeah, well, you know, you were a real loser back then," Gary teased, bringing him a sandwich. "So I couldn't help myself."

"I'm not a loser anymore?" Ash asked.

"Sometimes."

Ash tittered and took a bite of his sandwich. He waited to swallow before exclaiming, "Hey, this is really good."

"You sound surprised," Gary noted.

Ash took a few more bites, grateful to have something to fill his stomach. As Gary had mentioned, he needed energy if he was going to help find Pikachu.

"How're your legs?" Gary asked, coming to sit across from him. "Better?"

"A lot better," Ash smiled, stretching one out in order to prove his point. "That ice did the trick."

"Do you need some more Tylenol?" Gary was out of his chair before Ash could reply.

"It's alright," Ash assured him. Ignoring this comment, Gary grabbed the bottle of pills and poured two of them into his palm.

"Here," he said, placing them next to Ash's cup of water. "And you need to keep drinking, Ash. I gave you that water this morning, and you're not even halfway done. You never drink as much as you should."

Ash made a face. "I had two Pepsis yesterday."

"Pepsi doesn't cut it," Gary insisted, pushing the glass closer to him. "You need water."

"Fine, mom," Ash said in a bored voice.

Gary chuckled. "Well, someone has to take care of you, now that you're away from home."

Ash's head snapped up to stare at Gary. Take care of him? Just a few months ago, they had been rivals, and now Gary felt a need to look after him? Flustered, he popped his pills into his mouth and swallowed them with some water, grateful that he didn't choke on them and make a fool out of himself.

"Besides," Gary continued, "your mom would kill me if I wasn't watching out for her Little Pumpkin."

Ash moaned, placing his head in his hands. "Since when did you know her nickname for me?"

"Since forever," he replied smugly.

"Great." He finished his sandwich and leaned back in his chair, very much satisfied for the time being. "That was really good, by the way."

"No problem, Pumpkin," Gary smirked, taking his plate to the sink.

Ash blushed, though not because he was embarrassed. The name was ridiculous, of course, but it sounded like something someone would call their romantic partner. And Ash certainly didn't have any qualms with that.

At that moment, Pidgeotto flew into the room, a piece of cloth in his mouth.

"What's this?" Ash asked, grabbing the material. There was red paint in the corner, and he recognized it instantly. "From Team Rocket's balloon!"

"Pidgeotto can lead us there," Gary said, tossing the plate into the sink and grabbing his coat.

"Good job," Ash said, patting the bird Pokémon's head. "You can bring us there, right buddy?"

Pidgeotto can a soft hoot and ambled over to the front door. He seemed eager to get going.

"Right, let's find Pikachu," Ash said, following in excitement.

"Ash," Gary growled, handing him his coat. "You're going to get sick if you don't watch out."

Ash pulled on the coat, very much annoyed. One overbearing mother was more than enough; he didn't need two. "I never really took you for the motherly type, Gary."

"I think there's a lot of things you don't know about me, Pumpkin. Alright, let's head out."

Pidgeotto took to the air the moment they were outside, and he began to fly South. Gary and Ash followed, aware of the fact that they had already been down this road the day before.

"You sure you're bringing us to the right place?" Ash called out. Pidgeotto hooted again and flapped his wings.

"Don't worry," Gary said soothingly. "He knows where he's going."

The walk seemed longer to Ash than it had before: he felt as though hours had passed before they came across the field where he had encountered Team Rocket. Pidgeotto veered away from the crater Team Rocket had created, and went instead East, towards the forest.

"The forest?"

"This way leads to Pewter City," Gary explained. "That's Viridian Forest."

"Is it?" Ash tried to sort out the geography in his head. "So then Team Rocket was headed for Pewter City?"

"It's a possibility," Gary said, "though I don't know that they'd want to do there."

"What _is_ there to do there?"

"Well..." Gary took a moment to reflect, then said, "you've got the Pokémon Museum. And the gym."

Ash looked at Gary in horror. "The gym. Brock told me it was doing great...I wonder if that means that they've got new Pokémon there."

"I don't think it makes a difference," Gary laughed, indicating the piece of cloth in Ash's hand. "Doesn't look like they made it, anyways."

As they neared the forest, Pidgeotto flew higher up, scouting the area.

"We're going into the forest?" Ash asked. "Isn't there a shortcut or something?" He recalled the unfortunate run-in he had once had with a swarm of Beedrill, though that had been many years ago.

"Yeah, there is," Gary said, "but it doesn't look like Pidgeotto's bringing us to Pewter City. This isn't the right path. Team Rocket must still be in the forest."

The trees were as large and numerous as Ash remembered, and the smell of the air just as sweet. Apart from the occasional rustling of leaves, it was very quiet, and Ash scanned the area in surprise. "Where are all the Pokémon?"

"Hiding," Gary said knowledgably. "They probably heard us coming."

Pidgeotto sailed to the ground.

"They're just up the path?" Ash asked. When Pidgeotto nodded, he smiled. "Good job. You deserve a long rest."

He returned Pidgeotto to his Poké Ball, and they began to make their way through the forest.

In spite of the calm of his surroundings, Ash was anything but tranquil. His heart was racing in his chest, and whenever he thought of Pikachu, the pace quickened for a few moments. Was he injured? Had Team Rocket done something to him? If they had, Ash swore that he would get revenge. This was the last time that they stole Pikachu from him, or any other Pokémon for that matter.

Gary suddenly stopped, and Ash followed suite, wondering what was going on. Before he could ask, Gary pressed a finger to his mouth and waited.

"This is all your fault, Meowth," they heard.

"Team Rocket," Ash breathed. Gary nodded and began to walk towards the sound of their voices, one hand on a Poké Ball at his waist. Ash did the same, straining his ears in order to hear what was being said.

Jessie's read hair came into view, slightly hidden by a large oak tree.

"We'll just have to walk," Jessie said. "Pewter City isn't far from here."

"But Jessie!" James cried. "We're completely lost, and there are Beedrill in these woods!"

"You should have thought of that before you broke the basket," she sniffed.

"_Me_?" James demanded. "You were the one—"

"Enough with your squabbling!" Meowth yelled. Ash took a few steps forward and saw the cat-like Pokémon standing on the hot air balloon's basket. A large tear ran the length of its bottom, and the balloon itself was dangling from a tree. "We needs to get outta here before 'da boss hears about this!"

"But we don't know where to go," James whimpered, sitting on the floor. "And I'm telling you, there are _Beedrill_ all over the place."

"So's we use this here Pikachu to blast 'em away," Meowth said, holding up a brown bag.

"Pikachu," Ash snarled.

"Easy, Ash." Gary grabbed hold of his chest and held him back.

"Did you hear something?" James looked around nervously.

Jessie inched closer to him. "Beedrill?"

"You's two are real scaredy-cats, you know that?" Meowth snapped. "We gots Pikachu on our side, remember?"

"Not for long," Ash yelled, running towards them. "Give me back my Pikachu!"

"Ash!" Gary said in an exasperated tone, chasing after him.

"What is this?" Jessie yelped. "Two twerps?"

Jessie and James exchanged a quick glance, and then Jessie straightened her back and said, "Prepare for trouble!"

"Make it double!" James joined in.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"What is this?" Gary muttered. "Do they do this _every _time?"

"Yeah," Ash said in a tired voice.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Is it almost over?" Gary moaned.

"Jessie!" she flung out her arms.

"James!" he went down on one knee, arms crossed.

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to—"

"Fight, yeah, we get it, okay," Ash cut in. "That's very nice. Now can I have my Pikachu back?"

Jessie laughed and put her hands on her hips. "I'm sorry to say that your Pikachu is now permanently ours."

"That's right," Meowth said, holding the bag containing Pikachu tightly. "So you's two can go back home now. The electric rat stays with us."

Ash pulled a Poké Ball off of his belt, ready to fight.

"Oh, so the little twerp wants to fight, does he?" Jessie sneered.

"Looks like he wants to get stuck in our mouse trap, just like last time." James threw a Poké Ball onto the ground. "Weezing, it's time for an encore!"

"I've got this one," Gary murmured. "You work on getting Pikachu back." He took a Poké Ball in hand and let it fly. "Come on out, Alakazam!"

The Psychic Pokémon appeared before them, lifting its two spoons into the air.

"This doesn't start without Arbok!" Jessie let out the snake, who hissed angrily.

"Alakazam, let's finish this fast," Gary called. "Hit them with your Psychic attack!"

"Ala..." The powerful Pokémon closed his eyes in concentration, then snapped them open as he shoved his spoons forward. "Kazam!"

Weezing and Arbok rose off of the ground, twitching in pain.

"Finish them off!"

With a slight flick of his wrists, Alakazam had his opponent flying through the air. They crashed into a tree and slid down to the ground, clearly unable to fight.

"Meowth, get in there!" James hollered. "Use your Scratch attack!"

"You idiot!" Meowth screeched, hopping back and forth on his two feet. "I'm holding 'da Pikachu!"

"Not for long," Ash shouted, snatching the bag away while its protector was distracted. He raced back to Gary before Meowth could react, and opened it up.

"Pika!" the yellow creature squeaked, leaping up onto Ash's shoulder.

"Pikachu, you're alright!" Ash grinned. "Let's end this."

Pikachu, understanding the order, leapt onto the ground and inhaled deeply. As it exhaled, it left off a stream of lightning that once again zapped Team Rocket. They shrieked as the attack took its effect, sinking to their knees.

"Let's get out of here," Gary said, grabbing Ash's arm.

"Wait." Ash hurried towards the basket and scooped several Poké Balls out of the bottom.

"Thanks," he said to the unresponsive Team Rocket.

Gary returned Alakazam to its Poké Ball, and they left the forest at once.

"I'm so glad to get these guys back," Gary said, placing the Poké Balls in the bag that had once held Pikachu. "This is perfect."

"They weren't so tough after all, were they?" Ash smiled. He had Pikachu in his arms and was petting his head, much to the Pokémon's pleasure. "I told you Team Rocket was pathetic."

"Yeah," Gary grinned, "which makes you _really_ pathetic for losing to them yesterday. I guess you're still a loser, Ashy-boy."

He and Pikachu both laughed as Ash's shoulders slumped and his face fell.

"That's alright," Gary said, clapping his back. "You're the best loser there is."

"Oh wow, thanks a lot," he said sarcastically.

"No, really," Gary assured him. "You're my favourite loser, and trust me, I know a lot of them. That counts for something, right?"

"Yeah," Ash replied. More than he would ever know.

"But you're still a loser," Gary added quickly.

Ash caught sight of his face, which was hosting a huge smile. He couldn't help but laugh as well. "I can handle that," he said truthfully.

* * *

Yay, the longest chapter yet. I like to think of this one as sort of a contrast to the one where Ash fell out of the window. Gary and Ash's relationship is obviously evolving. In that previous chapter, when they needed to work together to free the Pidgey, Ash first tried to do things his way, without listening to Gary, who clearly told him to let it out through the window. He then got pecked. He also ignored Gary, telling him the window wasn't going to budge, and just kept pushing into it until it opened--which made him fall out. This time, Ash listens when Gary tells him to be quiet and eavesdrop, and he also pays attention when Gary tells him to let him fight so he can grab Pikachu. And look: a success! Gary complements Ash's hot-headedness, and helps him reel it in, which clearly has its advantages.

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and I'm grateful for any reviews.


	14. Chapter 14

**-Chapter 14-**

I downloaded the Pokemon: Mewtwo Strikes Back soundtrack, and it is flipping sweet. While writing this chapter I more or less had "Invitation to Danger" on replay, which is the amazing song that is played when some of the trainers decide to hop on their water Pokémon and risk the storm to get to Mewtwo's Island. Anyone remember that song? It's awesome. "Surviving the Storm" is also great, which is from the part where Team Rocket poses as Vikings and tries to help Ash and his friends through the storm. Anyone remember the part where Brock goes, "I never knew Vikings existed anymore!" and Ash replied "Yeah, they mostly live in Minnesota!"? Does anybody else get the joke? Such a great line! The whole soundtrack is fantastic, and I think it's going to receive a lot of use, especially while writing this story.

* * *

Ash meant to sleep, but he couldn't. He was stretched out onto his back, Pikachu dozing next to him, staring up at the ceiling. It had been a long day, but well worth it, because he had gotten Pikachu back. Now that this worry was out of the way, a hundred other thoughts plagued his mind.

Battling Pokémon gave him a rush that he couldn't seem to get elsewhere. Calling out his Pokémon, relying on them, winning and losing with them...Seeing Gary battle had only made him yearn for that even more. His Alakazam followed his orders perfectly, and they made an amazing team. It felt wonderful to tell Pikachu to deliver the final, electric blow, and have Team Rocket pay for what they had done.

It gave him the urge to battle. He knew that he needed to train Pokémon, because that was his dream. To be the best Pokémon trainer, and eventually the Champion. He wanted to win at the Elite Four, to be one of the toughest trainers in history.

And all that was in his way was Gary. It was a sick sort of irony that the only thing he needed to do to pursue his dream was the one thing he was afraid of doing. He couldn't imagine battling Gary again, and losing his mind the way he had before. Forgetting his thoughts, his battle strategy, and watching helplessly as his Pokémon were defeated.

But then...how could he _not_ try to get his final gym badge? It was ridiculous. Didn't he owe himself the right to try and attain the top, just as he had wanted to do since he was a little kid? Was he going to give up that easily? He could do it.

Adrenaline flashing through his blood, he sat up and ripped the sheets off of his torso. He could do it. Slowly but surely, while he had been staying with Gary, he had gotten back his ambition. Determination. He had finally realised that he was lying to himself. He needed to do this. To be a trainer. To get his gym badge.

And for that, he needed to beat Gary. He needed to block out his emotions, forget how much he wanted him, and not be afraid of failure.

He got dressed and woke up Pikachu, who followed him to Gary's room. He knocked on the door once, waited, and then let himself in. Gary was in his bed sleeping, and for a moment, Ash forgot what he was doing there.

All he could think of was Gary's face. Soft and angelic, he could barely make it out in the darkness, and so he took a few steps forward. His mouth was slightly open, his eyes closed, and his hair was tousled. He looked so innocent. So peaceful.

"Gary?" he whispered.

He waited with bated breath as Gary turned onto his back, rubbing his eyes. "What?" He looked over and saw Ash standing there, and in an instant he was sitting up in bed, eyes wide open. "Ash, what is it? What's wrong?"

"I want to battle."

Gary opened his mouth to speak, and Ash knew what he was going to say. He was going to remind him that it was two in the morning, that they had a lot of work to do in a few hours, and that he was exhausted. Instead, to Ash's amazement, he smiled. "Give me a second to get dressed, okay?"

***

"We'll each use three Pokémon," Gary called out from his end of the field. "Alright?"

"Sounds good to me."

Gary smiled, grabbing a Poké Ball. "Don't hold back on me, Ash. I want this to be one of the best Pokémon battles I've ever fought.

"You got it." Despite the fact that his voice was steady, Ash was anything but confident. It took sheer determination to stop himself from running out of the gym and back to Pallet Town.

"Go, Arcanine!" Arcanine materialised before them, howling fiercely.

"In that case...Squirtle, I choose you!" Squirtle came out of its Poké Ball with a cry, and grinned as it saw Arcanine.

"Water-type, huh? Not bad," Gary smirked. "Alright, Arcanine, use your Flamethrower attack!"

"Dodge it, Squirtle!" Squirtle leapt over the torrent of flames, coming to rest a few feet away. "Bubblebeam!"

A trail of bubbles came from Squirtle's mouth, and the impact caused Arcanine to stagger. Though the attack didn't look like much, Gary's Pokémon was weak against Water-types, and Ash had the advantage.

But Gary wasn't about to give up so quickly. "Arcanine, Take Down!"

Before Ash could speak, Arcanine bashed into Squirtle, causing him to fly into the air.

"Now, Flamethrower!"

This time, the fire engulfed Squirtle completely. When the attack finished, Ash watched as Squirtle fell to the ground, hiding in his shell. His legs popped out, as did his head, and he slumped to the ground, incapable of rising.

Ash grit his teeth and called his Pokémon back, trying not to look at Gary. He should have been able to win: he had an easy type advantage. He needed to get his head in the game, before he started to lose it again. Sneaking a glance in Gary's direction, he saw him smile encouragingly, and this made it worse than ever. The elephants started raging in his stomach again, his breath quickened...

No. He needed to _think_. Of course he prized Gary above everyone else, of course he was his heart's deepest desire, but he was just a human, for crying out loud. He didn't need to lose his head. Forcing himself to relax, Ash selected a Poké Ball from his belt.

"You're up next, Charizard!"

The fierce Pokémon growled the moment it emerged from its Poké Ball, eyeing Arcanine warily.

"Arcanine, Take Down!"

'_Think, Ash, think. Ignore Gary.' _Ash took a step forward and yelled, "Charizard, dodge it! Try to get close enough to pick Arcanine up!"

When Charizard flew into the air and hovered above Arcanine, the dog-like creature snapped its jaws and let loose another stream of flames. Avoiding them easily, Charizard moved in to grab its fur, but was thwarted as Arcanine leapt out of the way.

"You've trained your Charizard well," Gary said. "I remember when it wouldn't listen to you."

'_Ignore it_,' Ash thought desperately, trying to tune out the voice that gave him shivers. _'Concentrate.'_

"Arcanine—"

"Skull Bash, Charizard!"

Charizard pummelled into Arcanine, his head driving into the latter's chest. It howled as it flew back, eventually flying into one of the rocks that punctured the field's otherwise smooth surface. When Arcanine failed to rise, Gary smiled and called it back.

"Not bad." Without missing a beat, he said, "Alright, Dodrio, you're up."

The three-headed bird appeared in a flash of red light, screeching and ruffling its tail feathers.

"Charizard, Flamethrower!"

Ash wanted to finish the battle as quickly as he could, before thoughts of Gary took over entirely. It looked as though his opponent was having none of that, however, as he ordered Dodrio to run away from the fire shooting towards it. Ash had forgotten about the Flying-type's incredible speed: it was nearly a blur as it hurried to the other side of the field.

"Right, Dodrio, get him with your Tri Attack!" Dodrio unleashed the three beams that represented fire, thunder and ice. Charizard flapped its wings and made to fly into the air, but the attack hit him directly in the chest. He faltered, roared, and pushed off of the ground.

"Try another Flamethrower attack," Ash yelled. Charizard, now thankfully airborne, emitted flames from its mouth once again, and this time Dodrio wasn't so lucky: the attack hit its target dead-on.

The three heads shrieked horribly, and Dodrio began to run around the field, clearly in pain. "Come on, Dodrio, jump into the air!"

Ash watched in horror as Dodrio leapt towards Charizard in a single mighty bound, obeying as Gary shouted "Drill Peck!" Its beak tore into Charizard's skin, causing him to roar with agony and drop to the ground.

"Fury Attack!" Its beak was now striking wherever it could hit, as Charizard feebly attempted to rise.

"Charizard," Ash called, "Dodrio's close now. Get him with your Dragon Rage!"

As Dodrio continued its pecking, Charizard formed a ball of fire in its mouth, then released the inferno directly into Dodrio's face. The bird shot back, skidding onto the ground. Gary waited with a pained expression on his face, and sighed as Dodrio failed to rise.

He held out his Poké Ball and recalled the fainted Pokémon, smirking. "Not bad, Ashy-boy."

'_Stay calm, just stay calm_,' Ash reminded himself desperately. He had the advantage here, and he needed to stay focused.

"Looks like it's time for Nidoqueen!" Gary seemed to grasp the Poké Ball for a fleeting second before letting it fly onto the field, and Ash wondered if he was silently asking the Pokémon to do its best.

"Nidoqueen, let's finish this," he said. "Hyper Beam attack!"

Charizard, in its already weakened state, had no time to react: the yellow beam of energy hit him head-on, forcing him into the ground. Ash didn't need to wait to see if he would come to, as he knew that the attack had been the finishing blow.

"Charizard, return," he said, holding out his Poké Ball. As the beam of red light brought Charizard back into the Poké Ball's confines, he held it closely and smiled. "You did great out there." Back to business, he eyed Gary's Nidoqueen, who was now panting. The attack must have taken a toll on her, and now was the time to attack. But with who? He wanted to use Pikachu, but the Electric-type was still weak from the night before. He needed time to rest from the ordeal with Team Rocket.

"Alright," Ash said, "Bulbasaur, I'm counting on you!"

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur seemed ready to battle as it emerged onto the rocky ground, its back legs bowed as it examined its adversary.

"Nidoqueen, Earthquake!"

"Quick, Bulbasaur, use your vines to push yourself off the ground." As the earth began to rumble, Bulbasaur reacted immediately, vines protruding from the bulb on his back. These dug into the ground and pushed down hard, allowing his body to be projected into the air.

"Razor Leaf!" A flurry of sharp leaves burst from its bulb, slicing Nidoqueen's skin. Though Nidoqueen winced and groaned, she seemed to have plenty of fight left in her.

"Nidoqueen, give it your Ice Beam attack!" The freezing blast hit Bulbasaur with such impact that the reptilian Pokémon flew into the air and landed on the ground with a loud _thump_. Dust floated into the air.

"Bulba..." he moaned, trying to rise.

"Bulbasaur, quick, get out of the way!"

But it was too late. Nidoqueen came down on Bulbasaur with its Double Kick attack, weakening it further.

"Bulbasaur..." Ash tried to think of a way out of this mess. It was a repeat of before. All exactly the same. But why? He hadn't been paying attention to Gary, unlike their previous battle, when he had allowed himself to stew in his thoughts.

And then it dawned on him. Deep down in his subconscious, he didn't _want_ to beat him, because what if that made Gary hate him? What if they went back to their old rivalry? Anything was better than having to go through that again.

He realised that even losing was less apparently less painful, as Bulbasaur fell over onto his side. He called back the Pokémon and stared at the ground, incapable of speech.

He felt Gary's hand on his shoulder a few minutes later. "Ash...That was a really good battle, especially for someone who hasn't been training much lately."

Ash looked into his face, and he wanted to feel hate. He wanted to despise him for every insult, every jab, every single word exchanged that had made him feel horrible inside. But he couldn't. His anger dissipated at the sight of those brown eyes, and he knew that he couldn't hate Gary, even if he was the reason he couldn't get his eighth badge. It wasn't Gary's fault that Ash couldn't bring himself to beat him, for fear of their rivalry returning.

He shrugged the hand away and left the gym, Pikachu by his side.


	15. Chapter 15

**-Chapter Fifteen-**

"Ash?"

He tried to ignore the voice. He wanted to ignore it. But he couldn't. It wasn't until Gary came to stand at his side that he looked over. The gym leader was running a hand through his hair, a frown settling onto his features.

"What are you doing?"

"Packing," Ash said in a high, cheery voice that to his own ears sounded fake. He threw a shirt into his suitcase, perhaps a bit too forcefully, and dug around in his drawer for a missing sock.

"Packing?"

"Yeah." Ash nodded and gave Gary a wide, ridiculously phony smile. "I figure it's time to get back to Pallet Town."

"Ash..." Gary took a deep breath and sat on the edge of the bed. "Don't do this."

"Don't do what?" he asked, feigning confusion and innocence.

"Don't give up just because you lost one lousy battle."

"I'm not giving up," he said quickly. "I just think it's time for me to get back home. Mom probably needs me, you know. It's hard for her, since she lives by herself."

Gary wasn't buying it. "It was just one battle."

Ash felt his facade slipping away, and he tried to hold onto it with all his might. He didn't want Gary to worry. He wanted to seem as though he was happy, although he wasn't sure if he ever would be again.. "Oh, I know. It's alright. I tried my hardest, right?"

Gary grabbed Ash's hand as he made to tuck a pair of jeans into his suitcase. "Don't go, Ash. Don't mess this up for yourself."

"What do you mean?" He wanted to ignore the warmth that seemed to spread from where Gary's slender fingers held onto his wrist, but he couldn't. It was hopeless. The contact made him hesitate, and slowly, he put down the jeans.

"You're finally getting back into the swing of things," Gary said, "and now you're just going to start back at zero?" He let go of Ash's wrist and growled. "We shouldn't have battled. I should have made you train, let you get used to it again, before taking you on."

"It's not your fault," Ash replied, wanting to believe the words.

Gary didn't comment. "Just stay here, Ash."

"I can't."

"Why's that?"

He was breaking. Falling apart. He was tearing at the seams, splitting open, losing control completely. He sat on the bed and forced himself to take a few deep breaths. He couldn't do this. He had to. But he couldn't. "I don't know."

"I think you do," Gary said quietly, turning so that they were facing one another. "I just think you don't want to tell me."

Ash's heart was beating a tattoo against his chest, blue and black and painful. It was a wonder that Gary couldn't hear it. He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans and said, "I can't tell you."

"I just don't get you, Ash Ketchum," Gary said. His voice wasn't sharp or cruel, but it felt like a slap in the face. "I just don't. I used to admire you, you know that?"

Ash looked up, hardly daring to believe his ears.

"Yeah," he said. Gary's face was thoughtful as he spoke. "I used to want to be as passionate as you. To have your spirit. To want something not to prove anything, not to have one up on anyone, but just...for myself. To make my dreams a reality. And you used to have that, and I wanted it so badly, and I think I was a bit jealous."

"And now?" He tried to ignore how weak and broken his voice sounded.

"Now..." He sighed. "You're not like that anymore."

"Then what am I like?" He didn't want to hear this. He didn't want to know. He wanted to walk out the front door and never look back. But he couldn't so much as get off of the bed.

"I don't want to say. I don't want a fight to start like last time."

Ash shook his head. "It won't, I swear." He knew that he would stick to his word: he didn't have the energy, the motivation. He couldn't yell at Gary anymore. He couldn't dig his hole deeper.

"It's like..." Gary paused for a moment, and then said, "It's like those seven badges are protecting you, Ash. The ones you have already. It seems like you say 'Well, I don't need to try anymore, because a lot of trainers don't even get a single badge. And I've got seven. So I can stop pushing myself now.' And to me...That's not right. That's not _you_. You wouldn't settle with just being alright. Just being adequate. Vaguely above-average, maybe. You'd want to be the best."

Gary waited for Ash to say something, and when he didn't, he continued, "It just seems like you're letting yourself be happy with getting the bare minimum, when you have the potential to go further than that. But you hide behind those badges, because they're an excuse. If anyone says anything, you can tell them that you got seven badges. More than that, it's an excuse to yourself. Those seven badges protect you from questioning yourself, from pushing yourself harder, to trying to get to the top."

Ash swallowed audibly. Was it true? Was he that much of a coward? "So you're saying the badges are like...shields?"

"More like..." Gary rummaged through his thoughts, trying to think of the proper term. "More like parasols. No matter what rains down on you, you use those badges to protect yourself from it. So even if you know, deep down, that you're better than this, that you deserve more than this, and those thoughts all pour down on you, you've got those badges. And nothing touches you."

Ash laid back onto the bed, letting the words wash over him.

"And what I don't understand," Gary added, "is _why_ you do it. What are you hiding from? What do you have to protect yourself from?"

"You want to know?" Ash asked, anger welling up inside of him. "You really want to know?"

"I do. Just tell me, Ash. You'll feel better for it."

"I'm trying..." Ash shook his head. "I'm trying to protect myself from _you_."

"Me?" Gary's eyes widened in surprise. "What did I do? I haven't insulted you in years!" He suddenly squeezed his eyes shut and groaned. "Ash, when I call you a loser, I don't mean it. I hope you know."

"It's not that."

"Then what is it?"

"It's just..." Ash hid his face with his hands. He couldn't say it. It was too much to process in his mind, never mind to repeat out loud. "Gary, I can't beat you when we battle."

"Yes you can, you're just—"

"No, I can't," he said in a flat voice. "I psych myself out. Because I don't think I _want_ to beat you."

Gary was silent, waiting patiently for an explanation.

"I think it's because I'm afraid that if I beat you, you'll hate me," Ash muttered. The confession didn't make him feel any better; if anything, saying it like that only seemed to confirm the truth, and it made him feel worst than ever.

"Ash," Gary laughed, relieved. "I'm not going to _hate_ you. I'll be proud of you, and happy. Is that all it is?"

Ash couldn't take him laughing like that, brushing his fears away as though they were unimportant. "No, that's not all." He wasn't thinking, he could barely hear himself speaking, and his thoughts were a whirlwind as he sat up and pushed the suitcase to the floor. "You know what it is? It's that I'm protecting myself from you. From having to battle you. You're right, you know. That's how I rationalize it to myself, and I didn't even _notice_ until you pointed it out. In my subconscious, I feel like I don't need to fight you, because I've got seven badges. That's good enough. A lot of trainers would be happy with that. But I'm not."

"Then do something about—"

"I _can't_," he hissed. "You think I haven't tried? Every single night I tell myself to get over my fear. To battle you. To try and move on with my life. And just a few hours ago, I finally decided that I'd had enough. That I needed to try and fix this. So I battled you. And I lost. Because I can't beat you. I'm too scared of what you'll do."

He laughed bitterly and stood up, placing his hands in his pockets. He paced before Gary, head bowed, eyes boring into the carpet. "And you know what? Maybe I don't want to get my badge because I don't want to leave here. I want to stay here and work for you. I don't want to go to the League Tournament. Because working for you isn't what I want, it isn't what I really need, but it's safe. It's better than nothing."

Gary seemed incapable of speech. His eyes followed Ash as he walked, and his lips were pursed. He had simply no idea what to make of the sudden outburst.

"And you know _why_, Gary?" he demanded, coming to stand in front of him. "You know what the big problem is?"

"No," he breathed.

"It's because I _like_ you, Gary. I've liked you for as long as I can remember, though I didn't admit it at first. I like everything about you. I like your intelligence, how logical you are, how quickly you figure things out. I like your ambition, and how you never seem to second-guess yourself. Hell, I even like how cocky you are. Don't ask me why, but I do."

"Ash..."

"No, it's alright. I know it's not going to work out. I've known that since day one. But I at least need to be friends with you, Gary. And it feels like if I beat you in a battle, you'll hate me. Or else we'll go back to our old rivalry, of you trying to beat me and me trying to beat you. I'm so tired of that. It makes me sick. I don't want that to be the kind of relationship we have. Even just acquaintances, talking once a week, would be better than that."

"Ash, look—"

But Ash couldn't stop. Years' worth of speech was tumbling out of his mouth, and he couldn't hold it in. It felt good, viciously good, to get it off of his chest. "And if I go to the League Tournament, what happens? If I don't win, you'll think I'm a loser. I hate that. If I win, you might consider me competition, and then we'll be rivals again. You'll use me to try and improve yourself. I hate that even more."

"Okay, I get that, but—"

"So I _do_ hide behind those badges, Gary. They _are _whatever you called them—parasols—for me. Because they let me know that we're equals. I'm not so pathetic that you think I'm a complete failure, but I'm not so far ahead that you'd ever consider me a worthy opponent and a possible rival. I want to be a Pokémon Master more than anything, Gary. The only thing I want more is to be with you. And I know it's not going to happen, I know it's impossible, but I want it so bad that it physically hurts. So I sit around, I let my life just fly by and I don't do anything about it, when I know that I could be so much more than this. But if I want to do something with my life, that would mean giving up on any chances with you, even if I don't have any to begin with. It doesn't make sense, but that's what it is. None of this makes sense. It isn't logical that whenever we talk, I feel like I can't breathe. That whenever I see you, my mouth goes dry and my knees are wobbly. I'm not a mushy, romantic person. I'm not even gay. But that's just what it is. Happy now?"

Gary waited to see if he was finished.

"I'm done."

"Good." In a split second he had risen off of the bed, stepped forward, and he had grabbed hold of Ash's collar. Panic raced through his mind as he expected to be hit. To be yelled at. To be forever hated. Instead, he was pulled onto the bed, and Gary's lips burned against his as he felt warm fingers bury themselves in his hair.


	16. Chapter 16

**-Chapter Sixteen-**

Ash couldn't process what was happening. It didn't make sense. Gary Oak—_the_ Gary Oak—with his soft hair, sharp brown eyes, and pale lips, was kissing him. And it wasn't just a peck. It was hungry, needy, desperate.

He sank into the mattress, enjoying the sensations. He wanted to take it slowly, to enjoy every moment of it, until Gary came to his senses and pushed him away. He wanted to commit to memory the feeling of his fingers twisting in his hair, his other hand supporting his back, and Gary's teeth occasionally nipping his bottom lip.

But Gary wasn't having any of that. He moaned deep in his throat as he explored Ash's mouth, and he seemed to be trying to push them closer and closer. He was rough, and forceful, and it made shivers trickle down Ash's spine.

When finally they parted, gasping for air, Ash felt as though he was being completely overloaded. All he could smell was that wonderful, comforting vanilla that seemed to radiate off of Gary, and he could practically taste the desire on both of their lips. His nerves caught fire every time Gary so much as slid a finger across his skin, or tightened his grip in his hair, and his ears were pounding with his own heartbeat. It was too much to handle, and at the same time, not nearly enough.

Gary cupped Ash's chin, eyes raking over his body. Ash opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly silenced by a shake of Gary's head.

"Don't talk," he said. Ash felt as though his breath was cut off when he heard how deep and husky his voice had become. His arousal increased exponentially, and seemed to reach its apex when Gary leaned over and shut off the light.

Gary then began to plant firm, wet kisses on his neck, and it was now Ash's turn to lose his hands in the other's hair. His lips were warm, and as they moved away to press down on another patch of skin, the sudden cold air made him shiver. Gary managed to lick one spot, right on the side of his neck, that had him moaning so loud that he even caught himself off guard. He couldn't help himself. Gary smirked and licked harder, faster, until Ash was moaning a string of nonsense. He wanted him to continue, and at the same time, he needed him to stop because it was just too much.

Gary suddenly pulled back, and he was now sitting on Ash's lap. He began to pull off his shirt, and let it fall to the floor before working on Ash's jacket. He pulled off everything but his jeans, smiling when he saw the evident bulge that Ash was sporting.

'_He's undressing me_,' Ash thought wildly, staring at Gary's firm chest in awe. _'Gary Oak is actually undressing me._' It was more than he could have ever hoped for, and it almost pained him that such a simple action meant so much to him. He needed to sit back and think about this, because a part of him knew that when this was all over, Gary was going to blame it on hormones and laugh it off. And Ash was going to head back to Pallet Town, more broken than he had ever been.

It was extremely hard to concentrate on this, however, as Gary took one of his nipples in his mouth, sucking softly. The pleasure caused by this action seemed to race straight through his stomach and down to his erection, which was now crying for some sort of attention.

"Gary," he whimpered before he could stop himself. He needed him so badly that it didn't just ache anymore. It hurt like knives cutting into his abdomen, driving him beyond insanity. An elbow suddenly rubbed his crotch, and he inhaled sharply, doubting that it had been a mistake. His suspicions were confirmed when Gary chuckled and began to slip his fingers under Ash's waistband.

Ash held his breath, his fingers frozen, as Gary pulled down his jeans with a single tug. He didn't bother sliding them down his legs entirely, and let the waistband rest just below Ash's knees. He then crept his hand into his boxers.

As Ash first felt the fingers on his erection, barely ghosting over it, he let out a long, breathy moan and grabbed a fistful of sheets. He felt Gary's breath against his pulsing cock, and he was about to beg him to do something—anything—when he took the slick member into his mouth.

Ash couldn't moan. He couldn't grunt. He couldn't so much as raise his head. The sudden wetness and warmth had pushed him well into a state of shock. It was everything that he had imagined it would be, and then some. Gary's tongue, so flexible and smooth, ran itself up and down the hard length, and Ash wondered what was going through Gary's mind. If this repulsed him, or if he was doing it out of pity. Those thoughts took the backburner as something that very much resembled a moan came from Gary's direction, and before Ash could prepare himself, Gary was bobbing his head up and down, not bothering to tease or to take it slowly.

After less than two minutes of these ministrations, Ash realised that he was going to come. It was inevitable. Every muscle in his body was tensed, as though he was ready to pounce, and he was enveloped in a cold sheen of sweat.

"G-Gary, oh my—" He swallowed, forcing himself to speak properly. "Oh my God. Shit. _Shit_."

And he was coming in Gary's mouth. It was all he could do to stop himself from giving more than a strangled yell as he buried his head in a pillow. His legs were shaking, his chest was rising and falling faster than if he was sprinting, and there was a rush in his ears that sounded like a wave crashing down on him.

As he emptied himself into Gary's mouth, Ash was both shocked and thrilled to see that he was swallowing every last drop. As though it was precious water that he couldn't afford to waste.

Gary pulled away, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. As Ash began to relax, curling up into a ball and forcing himself to calm down, he felt Gary snuggle up next to him. His hand brushed Ash's hair out of his face, and a soft kiss was placed on his damp forehead.

"Was that alright?" Gary whispered. He wasn't cocky, or teasing; he simply wanted to know. And Ash loved him for that.

"Yeah," he said breathlessly, giving a shaky laugh. "Just let me—let me calm down. And. Catch my breath."

Gary nodded. He began to trail his hand down Ash's side, following the dips in his body as though he was riding a current. He seemed to be lost in thought.

"What're you thinking?" Ash asked after a few minutes.

"How horny I am," Gary muttered. Ash couldn't help but look down upon these words, and sure enough, Gary's erection was straining against his jeans.

"Here, I—" Ash made to rise, but Gary caught his wrists and held him in place.

"Ash, I want to...finish what I started." The right corner of his mouth twisted upwards, giving him a lopsided smile. Ash didn't know what he was talking about, but whatever it was, he could do it. So long as he kept smiling like that.

"What do you mean?"

Gary silently undid the belt on his pants with one hand, the other going into his bedside table's drawer. Ash then knew exactly what he meant. And it both terrified and excited him at the same time.

Sure enough, Gary pulled out a small white bottle, and raised his eyebrows as though asking permission. Ash nodded, not trusting his mouth to do much else but beg at this point, and complied as Gary brought him to his hands and knees.

He heard the bottle snap open, waited, and nearly collapsed when he felt Gary's wet fingers penetrate him. He had never really known how to feel about this part of sex, and when he had fantasized about Gary, he had never really included this in his reveries. Now that he felt himself being readied, he knew that his opinion had changed for the better.

"This might hurt," Gary muttered. Ash's heart swelled to the point where he wondered if it wasn't protruding from his chest. Gary cared about him, about hurting him. He hardly deserved this sort of happiness.

Gary was suddenly sliding into him, his hard cock pushing through the ring of muscle with ease. Ash gasped before he could help himself, holding onto a pillow as though it was a life preserver. It stung, and he felt stretched beyond his limit, but more than that, he felt full. Complete.

Gary began to slip in and out of him, and Ash felt as though he were in the deepest crevices of Heaven. With every push Gary gave, they grunted in unison, and Ash felt his cock stir again. He began to push back when Gary drove forward, and he listened in pride as the pitch of Gary's moaning escalated.

He didn't ramble as Ash had, but he made much more noise. His sounds were guttural, almost primitive, and they shook Ash's very core.

'_Gary Oak is having sex with me_,' he thought, _'and he's enjoying it. And he's—oh God, he's coming_.'

Gary came undone just as Ash had: tensed, moaning and delirious. The pressure around his cock was too much to handle, the warmth too much to take, and the simple realisation at what he was doing—fucking Ash Ketchum—was the final straw. He came harder than he ever had, and he sunk into the sheets the moment he was done. He was utterly spent, and felt as though he couldn't move a muscle.

Ash smiled and nuzzled his neck. If he could purr, he would have. He pulled the sheets over their bodies, and realised that sunlight was beginning to creep into the room.

"Are you going back to Pallet Town?" Gary asked.

"Was this just a one-time thing?"

Gary shook his head.

"Are you going to explain what that was all about?"

"When I'm done cuddling with you like a teenage girl, yes."

Ash grinned. "Then no. I'm not going anywhere."

It was all Gary needed to hear. He leaned forward and gave Ash a lingering kiss, then curled up into his arms.


	17. Chapter 17

**-Chapter Seventeen-**

When Ash opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a tuft of brown hair. He felt a warm body next to his, and for a moment, he wasn't entirely sure where he was. That couldn't be Pikachu next to him. For one thing, Pikachu spent most nights in the forest with his pack, and for another, the person in bed with him was far too large.

"G'morning," came a groggy voice.

He then realised that it was Gary, and that the night's events hadn't been a dream. He really had admitted his feelings, and he and Gary had actually slept together.

He stretched, feeling a dull ache in his joints that wasn't entirely unpleasant. "Hey."

Gary rubbed his eyes and yawned. "What time is it?"

"Uh," Ash checked his watch, "noon."

Gary groaned. "I need to get to the lab." He swung his legs over the bed and bent down to grab his shirt.

"Wait," Ash said, holding onto his arm. "I thought you were going to explain what happened last night."

Gary smirked, crawling back into the covers. "I guess if I'm late another ten minutes it won't matter."

He returned to his spot in Ash's arms, but he didn't say anything at first. With anyone else, Ash would have demanded that they explain to him what was going on. But this was Gary, and he didn't want to push anything. Truth be told, he enjoyed having the gym leader wrapped in his arms, and the longer they stayed silent, the more time he would have to enjoy the proximity.

"Ash," Gary finally said, "do you really think I never noticed that you like me?"

Ash felt as though the wind was knocked out of him. "What?"

"Oh, come on," Gary taunted, "it was so obvious. I'd call you 'Ashy-boy' and you'd blush, I'd accidentally touch you and you'd look away and go quiet...I noticed the signs. I'm not a total airhead, you know."

Ash didn't know what to say. He had never in his wildest dreams imagined that Gary knew his secret. He had tried so hard to hide it!

"So then when I was pretty much positive that you liked me," Gary continued, "I started to think about it. A lot. At first I just thought it was funny, and didn't really care. But then I started to get to know you better, and when we had that fight, I felt so _angry._ I don't even know why. I couldn't think straight. So then I made you dinner, wanting to apologize, and I finally realised that...maybe I liked you too. And at first I brushed it off, because I was so busy at the lab and stuff, but as I said, I'm not stupid. It didn't take me long to notice that I liked you a lot more than I originally thought."

"And you're...okay with that?"

"To be honest, I just figured it was a crush that I would get over," he admitted. "So it didn't really bother me. I had a lot of stuff on my mind, with the gym and stuff. But when you came out and told me all that stuff last night, I didn't react like I thought I would. I thought I would just smile and tell you it's fine, and then move on with my life. But instead, I felt happy. And relieved. And just..." He shook his head and sighed. "Sappy as it is, like I wanted to be with you."

"Wow," Ash said. "That's...definitely not what I was expecting."

"Yeah," Gary said. "Trust me, me neither." He propped himself up on his elbow and grinned. "So, ready for a rematch, now that you know that I won't hate you forever if you win?"

"I'm tired," Ash complained. "And hungry. And sore."

"Fine, fine," Gary said. "I've got to get to the lab now. Come by later, okay?"

"Mmm."

Gary gave an exasperated sigh and bent down to kiss his lips. "See you soon, Ashy-boy."

***

"Don't be ridiculous, James," Jessie spat, her weapon of choice slung casually over her shoulder. "Our deal was that if we gave back Pikachu, they would hand over those valuable papers. They broke the agreement, and now, we've come to claim what is rightfully ours."

"But Jessie," James moaned, trailing along after her, "we stole Pikachu in the first place!"

"Whose side are you on?" she barked.

"Besides," Meowth added, "them scientists have got a ton of rare Pokémons locked up in their lab."

"That's right," Jessie agreed. "One or two missing won't hurt anyone. If they don't want to give up those papers, it looks like we'll have to take one of those Dratini off of their hands instead."

"I suppose you're right," James said. "But is a gun really necessary?"

"It's not a gun, nimrod!" Meowth snapped. Regaining his composure, he said, "_That_ is a state-of-the-art Team Rocket Catchemizer."

"A Catchemizer?" James asked, his voice filled with awe.

"Correct." Meowth nodded. "The Catchemizer is guaranteed to catch any Pokémon with its large, indestructible net."

"Perfect for snatching Dratini," Jessie said.

"'Dat's right. We'll be in and outta that lab before those humans know what's up."

"Team Rocket is what's up," James smirked. "We're going right up to the top!"

They cackled as they continued to march towards the lab.

***

"One second," Gary called to his aide, walking towards the door. "I thought I heard someone knocking." He opened the door, revealing two people dressed in trench coats. The woman was holding a black microphone with an R stamped on the front, while the man was carrying a large video camera.

"Why, hello!" the woman said. "Is Gary Oak here?"

"Uh...I'm Gary Oak," he replied.

"Oh, how wonderful!" she exclaimed. "We're two reporters looking to do a story about your gym. Can you spare us a moment for an interview?"

"This isn't really the best time," he said, "there's a sick Dratini I need to take care of."

"Oh, nonsense, this will only take a second!" the male reporter assured him, bustling into the gym. "Where is this Dratini?"

"In the backroom. Look, I really don't have time for any interviews today—"

They ignored him as they walked to the backroom. Gary sighed, following impatiently. There was something vaguely familiar about them. He tried to recall past journalists he had had trouble with. Eyeing the woman's bright red hair, green glasses, and short skirt, he tried to place her in his memory.

"Have you interviewed me before?" he demanded.

"Why, I don't think so," the male reporter said hurriedly. His long blue hair and dress pants also seemed familiar, though Gary couldn't remember him. Of course, most reporters that showed up at the gym were rude and intrusive, so it wasn't surprising that they all started to seem similar.

"Is this the Dratini?" the woman asked, peering into a small room.

"Yes, and it's really sick, so if you could—"

The woman suddenly ripped open her trench coat, revealing what seemed like a bulky gun.

"What—"

"Prepare for trouble, Team Rocket's going live!"

"Make it double, we're on in five!"

"You've got to be kidding me," Gary murmured.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples with our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!" She held the Catchemizer above her head, smiling fiercely.

"James!" He ripped off his own trench coat and crossed his arms.

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

Meowth popped out from James' shirt. "Meowth, that's right!"

"Not you three again," Gary growled.

"That's right, little boy," Jessie said. "You decided not to play by our rules, and so we're here to finalise our deal!"

"You'll never get those papers."

"It's not them papers we wants," Meowth shouted, "it's that there Dratini!"

The feeble Pokémon whimpered, lowering its head onto the ground.

"I need help in here!" Gary shouted. When one of the aides came rushing into the room, he said, "Call Ash!"

"Call whoever you like," James scoffed, "but it won't make a difference. Not with the Catchemizer on our side."

"Catchemizer?" Gary asked, thoroughly confused.

"That's right," said Jessie. "Would you like a demonstration?"

She aimed the weapon towards Dratini, but Gary stepped in the way. "Not so fast!"

He threw a Poké Ball onto the ground, revealing Arcanine.

Jessie laughed and pushed a bright red button on the Catchemizer. A net instantly flung itself onto Arcanine, trapping him to the floor.

"Arcanine!" Gary cried.

"That net is fireproof and waterproof," Jessie gloated. "There's no getting out."

"And now," James said, "we'll just help ourselves to this lovely—"

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

Ash rushed into the room as Pikachu shocked the members of Team Rocket, causing them all to squeal in pain.

"This happens," James panted, sinking to the ground, "far too often."

"Call Officer Jenny to get these three crooks," Ash told one of the aides. He came to kneel next to Gary, concern etched deep into his features. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he said, smiling. "I just need to get Arcanine out of this net."

"Have you tried calling it back with your Poké Ball?"

"Don't you think they would have thought of that when they designed this thing?" Gary asked sceptically.

"I doubt that," Ash sighed.

Gary pulled out his Poké Ball and, sure enough, the red light succeeded in snatching Arcanine out of the net. "Some master criminals," Gary sneered.

"Yeah," Ash said, looking over at the electrocuted Team Rocket. "They're really something."

***

"You got me out of a tight spot back there, Ash."

"It was nothing," he replied, pleased nonetheless.

"You and Pikachu make a great team."

"Thanks."

Ash and Gary were sitting in the kitchen, watching as the sun set peacefully behind the forest. Dinner had been delicious, with plenty of rice and chicken balls to go around.

"We should do take-out more often," Ash said.

"Yeah, sure, if you want to weigh a hundred pounds by the end of the week," Gary teased. "_And_ if you're ready to pay for it."

"Guess not."

They sat in a comfortable silence, Gary's fingers combing through Ash's hair. After a while, he said, "You know what I've realised?"

"What?"

"You look different when you battle," he said. "When you came into the room with Pikachu, you looked...excited. There's something that goes on in your eyes when you battle."

"Really?" Ash asked. "Well, I definitely feel different. I feel like I'm in control, and like I'm doing what I love."

"So you're finally going to admit that you love Pokémon battling?" Gary smiled. "That it's your passion?"

"Yeah, I've known that all along."

Gary nuzzled his neck. "Then isn't it time to do something about it?"

Was it? He really had nothing to fear anymore. He knew that Gary would never hate him, no wonder who won or lost, and that they would no longer be rivals. He also knew that telling Gary that he liked him had taken an enormous amount of courage, and so he clearly had it in him to fight his fears. Maybe this was just another obstacle in the road.

"Yeah. I think it is."


	18. Chapter 18

**-Epilogue-**

It was a beautiful day outside. The sun was shining fiercely, the water was sparkling, and Ash was ready to set off. He took one last look through his bag, checked to see that he had all of his Poké Balls, and then cast a glance outside.

"Forgetting something?" Gary asked, coming into the bedroom.

"My Pokédex!" Ash yelped, grabbing it and placing it in his pocket. "I can't believe I almost forgot it."

"I updated it for you," Gary said. "It should run a lot smoother now."

"Perfect." Ash smiled and zipped up his bag. "Ready, Pikachu?"

"Pika pi!" The yellow Pokémon waved its arms in the air, eager to get going.

"I'll be there as soon as I can," Gary promised, walking Ash to the front door. "I just need to finish up some stuff. I'm sorry I can't go with you."

"It's alright," Ash said. "As long as you're there when I battle."

"Of course." Gary wrapped his arms around Ash tightly, planting a kiss on his lips. "You better not lose, Ash Ketchum, or then I'll be _really_ embarrassed about giving you a badge."

"Don't worry, I'll make you proud," he said softly. He tightened his hold on Gary and leaned into the embrace. "I'm going to miss you."

"Jeeze, Ashy-boy, don't make me start crying here," Gary joked. "I think I'm tearing up."

Ash stuck his tongue out and grabbed his backpack. "See you soon, right?"

"Right," Gary confirmed. He grabbed his hand and squeezed it one last time. "Don't chicken out and run back here, alright? You can do it. I love you."

It amazed Ash that no matter how many times Gary told him that, it never ceased to make him feel as though he was floating on a cloud. It was everything he had ever wanted, and finally, it was his. It was hardly plausible that Gary could give him everything he wanted with just three words. "I love you, too."

He left before he could make more of an emotional fool out of himself. It would take him about four days to get to the Pokémon League, and Gary was driving there in a week. Despite the fact that he would see him soon, Ash couldn't help but be sad. It was difficult to live away from the person who meant the world to him, but he had to do it.

Gary had offered to loan him the car, or to drive him up himself. But Ash wanted to do it this way. Just him and Pikachu, walking down the road, camping out and travelling on nothing but their own two legs. It was a homage to his past, and his humble beginnings.

He thought back on the time he had spent in Pallet Town, and he couldn't believe that he had put himself through that torture. Spending entire days in his dark room, watching the hand on the clock tick by. Why had he done it? There was so much happiness in the world that he had been missing out on. The joys of climbing into bed with someone he loved, laughing and occasionally play-fighting. The elation of winning his final badge, and seeing the pride in Gary's face as he gathered him in his arms and congratulated him.

If he lost at the Pokémon League, he could learn to deal with it. Because he had gained something much more. Not just a lover, not just a badge, but himself. His badges weren't parasols anymore. They didn't protect him from everything, making it so that he didn't push himself further. Now they motivated him, and spurred him to go to the League Tournament and prove why he was worthy of each of those badges.

He had a new parasol now. He had Gary. Only this parasol didn't protect him from dealing with his fears. This parasol protected him from the self-doubt, the hate, and the worry that had been eating him from the inside out.

And that made all the difference in the world.

* * *

Eeep, I'm so glad with the way this turned out! I have a few things to say. First of all, a huge thanks goes to anyone who took the time to read my story, and especially to those who reviewed. A lot of you have faithfully reviewed throughout this entire process, and while I won't name everyone, you know who you are. You all made me realise what I really like about writing: connecting with my readers, knowing how they feel about my work, and meeting new and wonderful people. Thank you so much for making this experience ten times better than it would have been without any of you.

This story had a lot of personal meaning to me, in that I was once Ash, stuck in a rut and not going anywhere. It's a horrible feeling, to have no motivation, and it was only through finding my own Gary Oak that I managed to get out of it. This story is one that I am proud of, and as I said, I'm pleased with the way it turned out. I really put my heart and soul into it, and I hope that showed through my writing.

Thank you again for reading,

youroctober


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